Or  3uJlo 


ti-S. 

V / 

no.  £ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  OREGON  BULLETIN 


NEW  SERIES 


Mineral  Resources 

AND 

Mineral  Industries 


OF  OREGON 


1903 


Mmimw 

OCi  tb  i too 


j Issued  Ui-monthly.  Published  by  the  University,  Eugene.  May,  1904 
Entered  January  2,1904,  at  Eugene,  Oregon,  as  second  class  matter 
under  Act  of  Congress  of  July  16,  1894. 


Copyrighted,  1904,  by  O.  F.  Stafford 


■ •'  . ' ' A'g&j. 


: •"  . VK'  • >.  qffiRlSA 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/mineralresourcesOOuniv 


THE  MINERAL  RESOURCES  AND 


MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  OREGON 

For  1903 


COMPILED  BY  THE 

DEPARTMENT  OF  CHEMISTRY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  OREGON 


UNIVERSITY  OF  OREGON  BULLETIN 
SERIES  VOL.  I 


Published  by  the  University,  Eugene,  Oregon.  Issued  Bi-Monthly 
MAY,  1904 


Copyrighted  1904 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 


In  presenting  herewith  an  account  of  the  mineral  industry  of 
Oregon  the  author,  in  justice  to  the  subject  and  himself,  feels  the 
necessity  of  explaining  the  exact  nature  and  scope  of  the  work 
undertaken.  An  ideal  discussion  ol  the  mineral  resources  of  a 
country  would  involve,  perhaps,  an  historical  account  of  the  mining 
industry  in  the  several  districts;  a study  of  geological  features; 
details  descriptive  of  development,  equipment,  mining  and  metal- 
lurgical practice;  statistics  of  production  and  labor;  as  well  as 
whatever  other  matters  there  might  be  which  would  have  either  an 
economic  or  scientific  bearing  upon  the  industry  in  question.  The 
complete  attainment  of  such  an  ideal,  however,  would  be  the  task  of 
a thoroughly  organized  geological  survey,  adequately  equipped, 
liberally  supplied  with  funds,  and  properly  invested  with  the 
authority  necessary  for  carrying  out  its  purposes.  Even  under  such 
advantageous  circumstances,  in  a state  as  large  as  Oregon,  there 
would  be  some  difficulty  in  making  a complete  statement  of  condi- 
tions before  several  years  of  work  were  done. 

It  became  an  absolute  necessity  for  the  author,  therefore,  in 
taking  up  this  work  single-handed,  to  set  a limit  within  which  it 
might  be  possible  to  accomplish  something  in  the  time  at  his  disposal. 
With  the  means  at  hand  the  possibilities  resolved  themselves  into  a 
consideration  of  the  places  of  occurrence  of  the  various  mineral 
deposits  as  far  as  knowledge  could  be  obtained  of  them;  their  tnineral- 
ogical  character;  ownership;  development;  and  equipment.  Nor  has 
it  always  been  possible  to  get  all  of  this  information  with  respect  to 
a given  property,  in  such  cases  there  has  been  given  simply  a state- 
ment of  the  facts  obtainable.  It  is  thought  that  all  of  the  more 
important,  known  mineral  deposits  of  the  state  have  received  men- 
tion. In  case  any  have  been  omitted  it  is  because  through  the 
channels  of  information  available  for  this  work  nothing  has  been 
heard  from  them. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  writer  to  acknowledge  here  the  hearty  co- 
operation which  has  been  accorded  him  by  many  persons  in  all  parts 
of  the  state.  Credit  is  especially  due  to  Mr.  W.  B.  D.  Dodson,  of  the 
Blue  Mountain  American,  Sumpter;  Mr.  Frederick  R.  Mellis,  Mr. 
Herbert  Moulton,  and  Mr.  V.  V.  Sparks,  of  Baker  City;  Mr.  Edward 
S.  Van  Dyke,  Mr.  Dennis  H.  Stovall,  Mr.  H.  C.  Perkkisand  Mr.  W.  H. 


4 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Hampton,  of  Grants  Pass;  Mr.  Frank  J.  Hard,  of  Bohemia;  Mr.  C.  B. 
Watson  and  Mr.  M.  F.  Eggleston,  of  Ashland;  Mr.  W.  E.  Coman, 
of  Portland;  Mr.  C.  J.  Owen,  of  the  Evening  Telegram,  Portland;  Mr. 
W.  B.  Dennis,  of  Blackbutte;  Mr.  C.  W.  Washburne,  of  Eugene;  Mr. 
B.  W.  Rice,  Boise,  Idaho;  and  Mr.  J.  J.  Baker,  Barite. 

University  of  Oregon,  0.  F.  Stafford. 

Department  of  Chemistry, 

February,  1904. 


ANTIMONY 

This  substance  occurs  as  tetrahedrite  and  stibnite  in  association 
with  the  base  gold  ores  of  the  state,  especially  in  Eastern  Oregon  and 
in  the  Trout  Creek  mines  of  Crook  County.  It  is  not  recovered  in 
commercial  quantities. 

ASBESTOS 

Asbestos  is  reported  as  occurring  in  the  following  localities, 
though  in  none  of  them,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  is  there  any 
actual  production:  Bumcomb,  Kubli,  and  Spikenard,  Jackson 
County;  Browntown,  Josephine  County;  Meadow’,  Lane  County; 
Drewsey,  Harney  County;  Mount  Vernon  and  Prairie  City,  Grant 
County;  Lakeview,  Lake  County;  Barite,  Wheeler  County;  Watson 
and  Ontario,  Malheur  County;  Canyonville,  Perdue,  Starveout,  and 
upon  Cow  Creek,  Douglas  County;  and  upon  the  headwaters  of  the 
Clackamas  River. 

Specimens  of  the  Jackson  County  product  in  the  University  collec- 
tion show  it  to  be  a fair  quality  of  the  atnphibole  variety,  the  fibers 
in  some  cases,  notably  in  the  specimen  from  Spikenard,  being  several 
inches  in  length.  The  Starveout  deposits  are  upon  Evans  Creek, 
twenty-six  miles  from  the  railroad  and  five  miles  from  the  wagon 
road.  Three  claims  are  owned  by  Curtis  Bros.,  who  have  built  trails 
and  developed  their  property  by  open  cuts.  The  veins  are  said  to  be 
not  large  but  sufficiently  numerous  and  close  together  to  make  the 
properties  of  value.  The  specimen  from  Browntown  is  rather  better 
than  a third  grade  quality.  The  owners  of  the  Meadow’s  deposit 
have  given  no  details  of  development;  the  sample  submitted  seems  to 
be  chrysotile  with  short  fibers.  The  Douglas  County  deposits  occur 
in  serpentine  and  closely  related  formations,  thin  stringers  with  but 
little  permanence  being  the  nature  of  the  deposits  as  far  as  known. 

BAUXITE 

No  authenticated  reports  of  the  existence  of  this  mineral  in  com- 
mercial quantities  in  Oregon  have  come  to  our  knowledge.  A deposit 
said  to  be  bauxite,  found  upon  the  Clackamas  River,  seems  to  be  a 
ferruginous  clay. 


6 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


BORAX 

Although  borax  occurs  in  Oregon  to  a considerable  extent,  all 
efforts  to  get  into  communication  with  the  people  interested  in  it  in 
order  that  information  for  this  work  might  be  secured,  have  been 
fruitless.  The  following  account  of  the  industry  is  abstracted  from 
the  several  volumes  of  the  Mineral  Industry  in  which  mention  is 
made  of  it: 

The  deposit  is  located  in  the  marshes  south  of  Lake  Alvord,  Har- 
ney County,  and  extends  over  10,000  acres.  With  transportation  facil- 
ities as  they  are  at  present  about  one-fourth  of  this  area  is  rich 
enough  to  pay  for  working.  The  product  is  shipped  by  mule  teams 
to  Winnemucca,  Nevada,  150  miles  distant.  The  ground  is  level  and 
treeless,  and  is  incrusted  with  a layer  of  salts  six  inches  thick, — sodi- 
um carbonate,  sodium  sulphate,  and  sodium  chloride  being  constitu- 
ents of  the  crust  along  with  borax.  During  the  long,  dry  summers 
this  material  is  shoveled  up,  dissolved  in  boiling  water  to  which  sul- 
phuric acid  is  added,  the  solution  decanted,  and  the  boric  acid 
obtained  by  precipitation  as  the  liquor  cools.  From  five  to  twenty 
per  cent  of  the  raw  material  is  borax.  Four  hundred  tons  per  year 
was  reported  for  the  years  1898,  1899,  1900,  and  1901.  No  produc- 
tion in  1902.  The  Rose  Valley  Borax  Co.  owns  the  richest  of  the 
marsh  land.  The  deposits  are  renewed  each  year  during  the  winter 
rains.  Hot  springs  carrying  borax  are  the  reputed  source  of  the 
mineral. 

An  interesting  deposit  of  colemanite  occurs  five  miles  north  of 
Checto,  Curry  County,  the  mineral  being  in  compact  layers  and  con- 
cretionary forms  lying  between  beds  of  slate  and  steatite.  It  is  said 
that  shipments  were  formerly  made  to  San  Francisco,  but  noth- 
ing has  been  done  with  the  deposit  of  late  years. 


CEMENT 

There  are  probably  many  deposits  of  material  within  the  state 
that  will  serve  for  the  manufacture  of  cement  of  the  various  kinds, 
but  until  chemical  analyses  or  practical  tests  of  the  numerous  lime- 
stones, marls,  and  tuffs  reported  as  suitable  for  this  purpose  can  be 
made,  it  must  remain  a matter  of  conjecture  as  to  what  the  possi- 
bilities for  this  industry  in  Oregon  really  are. 

Tests  have  been  made  upon  materials  from  only  a few  localities: 

The  Oakland  limestones  and  Wilbur  tuffs  of  the  Roseburg  quad- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


7 


rangle  have  been  submitted  to  practical  tests  with  results  that  at 
least  make  the  owners  of  the  deposits  optimistic  regarding  the  suita- 
bility of  these  substances  for  cement  manufacture.  On  the  farm  of  A. 
F.  Brown,  six  miles  south  of  Oakland,  a deposit,  probably  a tuff- 
lentil,  has  been  developed  by  a shaft  10  feet  deep,  material  from 
which  has  been  shipped  to  Oregon  City  and  roasted.  Mr.  Brown 
says  that  he  has  seen  stone  made  from  it  superior  to  that  produced 
by  Portland  cement.  The  following  is  an  analysis  of  a sample  of 
this  tuff  taken  by  J.  S.  Diller  in  the  course  of  his  geological  survey  of 
the  Roseburg  quadrangle,  and  analyzed  in  the  laboratories  of  the 
Geological  Survey  at  Washington: 


Silica 55.15 

Carbon  dioxide - 3,64 

Titanium  dioxide  \ 

Phosphoric  acid  > 9.75 

Alumina  ) 

Ferric  oxide 7.76 

Lime 10.48 

Magnesia 2.22 

Potash ..  .50 

Soda 1.00 

Water  loss  at  110° 2.70 

Water  loss  above  110° 6.59 


Total 99.79 


Another  deposit  similar  to  this  which  has  been  exploited  slightly 
is  nine  miles  west  of  Oakland.  From  Diller’s  report  it  is  seen  that 
the  Wilbur  formations  are  of  small  thickness,  and  that  their  extent 
is  limited  to  a line  about  13  miles  long  extending  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Wilbur  northeast  to  the  Calipooia  Mountains.  The  Oak- 
land limestones  are  of  even  less  extent,  only  three  small  areas,  with 
less  than  an  acre  in  each,  having  been  observed  by  Diller. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Sibley  and  Eakin,  of  Dallas,  the 
following  analysis  of  the  rock  from  the  Dallas  quarries  is  available. 
The  analysis  was  made  at  the  Agricultural  College  of  Michigan: 


Total  silica 24.08 

Aluminum  and  iron  oxides 15.66 

Lime 31.58 

Magnesium  oxide 2.74 

Water  loss  at  105° 3.56 

Carbon  dioxide 20.24 

Undetermined 2.14 


8 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


The  quarries  are  about  two  miles  west  of  Dallas,  and  cover  sev- 
eral hundred  acres.  The  stone  has  a fine  blue  color,  is  of  good  tex- 
ture, and  extensively  used  for  building.  It  is  one  and  one-half  miles 
from  the  railroad, — the  estimated  cost  of  building  a spur  to  the 
quarries  being  $18,000. 

Five  miles  east  of  Monitor,  Marion  County,  is  a ledge  of  argilla- 
ceous limestone  which  crops  at  intervals  for  twelve  miles  or  so  to  the 
south  of  the  point  named.  Its  burned  product  was  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Oregon  City  woolen  mills,  it  is  said,  and  also  in  the 
building  of  the  Coolidge  block  at  Silverton.  It  is  not  worked  at 
present,  nor  are  any  analyses  available.  A sample  in  the  University 
collection  will  be  analyzed  in  due  time.  In  Columbia  County  many 
occurrences  of  marl  are  reported  which  may  prove  to  be  valuable  as 
cement  making  substances. 

CHROMITE 

No  extensive  deposit  of  chromite  is  known  in  the  state.  Small 
bodies  of  the  mineral  are  of  frequent  occurrence  and  are  wide-spread 
in  their  distribution,  but  in  no  instance  that  has  been  reported  are 
quality  and  quantity  found  together.  A sample  submitted  by  Mr.  P. 
L.  Keeton,  sheriff  of  Wheeler  county,  is  the  best  that  has  come  to  the 
notice  of  the  author.  An  analysis  made  in  this  laboratory  shows 
the  presence  of  over  49  per  cent  chromic  oxide. 

THE  CLAY  INDUSTRIES 

Kaolin— Deposits  of  kaolin  are  found  in  the  localities  cited  below, 
the  names  of  persons  interested  being  given  in  connection  where 
possible: 

Malheur  County,  28  miles  southwest  of  Huntington,  B.  W.  Rice, 
Boise,  Idaho;  Arago,  Coos  County,  Henry  Schroeder;  Wasco  County, 
five  miles  above  The  Dalles;  south  of  Harney  Lake,  Harney  County, 
H.  C.  Perkins,  Grants  Pass,  Oregon;  ten  miles  east  of  Ashland,  M.  F. 
Eggleston,  Ashland;  Currinsville,  Wm  Marshall;  mouth  of  Pine  and 
Salmon  Creeks,  foot  of  Elkhorn  range. 

Fireclay — E.  B.  Simmons,  Walker;  O.  G.  Weaver,  Berlin;  Robert 
Archibald,  Shaw;  C.  G.  Caples,  Columbia. 

Brick  and  Tile — An  abundance  of  clay  for  the  manufacture  of  brick 
and  tile  seems  to  be  at  hand.  Below  is  an  incomplete  list  of  the  firms 
in  the  state  engaged  in  this  industry,  together  with  occasional  notes 
regarding  equipment,  clay  deposits,  production,  in  1903,  etc. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


9 


Aims,  Herbert  Culpin. 

Albany,  Chamberlain  Bros. — Wilson  and  Kitchen. 

Ashland,  W.  J.  Branner. — C.  H.  Vechte. 

Aurora,  Jacob  F.  Yost;  brick  and  tile. 

Banks,  Jos.  Schneider. 

Bay  City,  B.  Provost  and  Son. 

Carson,  Hulse  Bros.;  tile. 

Central,  Randles  and  Kinsey;  2,500,000  common  brick  in  1903. 
Chemawa,  F.  J.  Beatty. 

Cottage  Grove,  Wallace  and  Sons. 

Condon,  C.  Armstrong. 

Corvallis,  W.  C.  Corbett. 

Dairy,  Klamath  County,  C.  C.  Pearson. 

Dallas,  C.  S.  McDevitt. — Geo.  F.  Shew. 

Elgin,  Peter  Book. 

Eugene,  J.  M.  Martin;  400,000  common  brick  in  1903. 

Florence,  William  Brund. 

Forest  Grove,  Albert  Dixon. — B.  F.  Ketching;  800,000  common 
brick,  20,000  pressed  brick  in  1903. 

Gervais,  Benjamin  Mench.— J G.  Martzolff;  clay  said  to  be  very 
fine;  400,000  made  by  hand  during  1903;  yard  will  be  equipped  with 
improved  machinery  having  a daily  capacity  of  30,000  brick. 

Gold  Hill,  Walter  Stickel. 

Grants  Pass,  James  Carter. — Colvin  Bros. 

Grass  Valley,  Henry  Patterson. 

Greenleaf,  Herman  H.  Steinhauer. 

Hillsboro,  J.  H.  Sewell;  brick  and  tile. 

Hubbard,  I.  S.  Miller;  brick  and  tile. 

Independence,  J.  R.  Cooper;  brick  and  tile. 

Kinton,  Landess  and  Brown;  87,000  ordinary  brick;  121,640 
drain  tile;  6000  hollow  building  blocks  in  1903;  40  horse  power 
Acme  Special  machine;  15,000  feet  floor  space;  15,000  feet  kiln  space. 
LaGrande,  LaGrande  Brick  and  Tile  Co. 

Lakeview,  Moses  Striplin. 

Langlois,  E.  Bossen. 

McMinnville,  Jacob  Seiters  and  Son. — Heath  and  Swan,  tiling; 
two  16  foot  down  draft  kilns;  two  sheds  100  feet  long;  40-horse 
power  engine. 

Marshfield,  C.  W.  Laughead. 

Meacham,  W.  B.  Ross. 

Medford,  Childers  Bros. 

Merrill,  Klamath  County,  George  Vaughn. 

Milwaukee,  Charles  Fisher  and  Co. 

Monmouth,  James  Hetmick;  tile. 


10 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Moro,  B.  F.  Hoover. 

Mt.  Angel,  Butsch  and  Schorms;  320,000  common  brick. 

Myrtle  Point,  Sam  Giles. 

Newberg,  James  H.  Hammett  and  Sons;  fire  brick,  5000;  common 
brick,  350,000;  repressed,  8000.— Newberg  Pressed  Brick  and  Terra 
Cotta  Co  , Jesse  Edwards,  president.  This  is  the  only  dry  pressed 
brick  plant  in  the  state.  Twenty  to  thirty  cars  of  clay  a year  are 
shipped  from  Buena  Vista,  Oregon,  and  about  100  cars  per  year 
from  Willamina, — the  two  kinds  making  it  possible  to  manufacture 
any  shade  of  brick  from  pure  white  to  a dark  brown.  Bronze 
medals  were  awarded  this  firm  at  Buffalo  and  Omaha,  and  a silver 
medal  at  Charleston.  Plant  represents  an  investment  of  $50,000. 
Output  in  1903,  1,075,000  brick;  250  tons  of  fireclay  sold;  40  tons 
ground  brick  dust  sold. — J.  F.  Taylor;  product  in  brick  and  tile  valued 
at  $1000. 

North  Yamhill,  Phil  Withycomb;  clay  bank  only;  1000  tons  in 
1903. 

Oakland,  Johnson  and  Williams;  brick  and  tile. 

Ontario,  Wm.  Schimp. — David  Wilson. 

Portland,  James  Anderson. — J.  C.  Bayer. — Diamond  Brick  Co. — 
L.  E.  Kern. — F.  L.  Litherland  and  Co. — The  J.  McCracken  Co. — Peter 
Van  Hoomissen. — Versteeg  Bros. — Western  Clay  Co.  The  last  named 
company  obtains  its  clay  from  near  the  site  of  old  Fort  Clatsop,  on 
the  Lewis  and  Clark  River,  and  from  Harlow,  Blasa,  and  Harlow, 
at  Troutdale. 

Prairie  City,  Thos.  Walsh. 

Prineville,  D.  W.  Hardin  and  Sons. 

Riddle,  J.  H.  Summers. 

Roseburg,  Micelli  Bros. 

Salem,  A.  A.  Burton. — Jos.  Murphy. 

Scholls,  Groner  and  Rowell  Co.;  100,000  brick;  200,000  tile; 
20,000  hollow  building  blocks. 

Sylvan,  J.  W.  Cooke;  900,000  ordinary  brick  in  1903. 

Terry,  John  Bliss. 

Toledo,  M.  Glass. 

Warren,  Ero  Wambeck. 

Wasco,  B.  F.  Hoover. 

Weston,  Clark  Nelson;  4,000,000  common  brick,  100,000  pressed 
brick  in  1903. 

Whitney,  W.  B.  Wren. 

Whitson,  S.  McAlister. 

Woodburn,  Andrew  Dawson, 


University  of  Oregon  Bhlletin 


11 


COAL 

THE  COOS  BAY  FIELD 

The  Coos  Bay  deposits  of  coal  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Marshfield, 
a town  located  at  the  head  of  Coos  Bay,  in  township  25,  range  13 
west.  The  area  is  described  by  J.  S.  Diller  in  the  Coos  Bay  Folio, — 
No.  73  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey, — and  in  a paper,  “The  Coos 
Bay  Coal  Field,”  19th  Annual  Report  of  the  Survey,  part  III.  As 
defined  in  these  works  the  coal  area  covers  about  150  square  miles. 
Additional  areas  have  been  reported  to  the  author,  however,  within 
the  past  few  weeks,  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Timon,  of  Timon,  Oregon,  and  Mr. 
Carl  L.  Albrecht,  of  Marshfield.  The  area  discovered  by  Mr.  Timon 
is  said  to  be  twenty  miles  long  and  of  unknown  width, — details  of 
location  not  given.  Those  reported  by  Mr.  Albrecht  are  as  follows: 
The  Ten-Mile  basin,  sections  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  17,  18,  township  23,  range 
12  west;  the  South  Coos  River  basin,  township  24,  range  9 west; 
the  Eden  basin,  township  32,  range  11  west. 

The  coal  is  lignite  of  good  quality,  and  non-coking  as  a rule. 
The  following  analytical  data  published  in  Diller’s  Geological  Recon- 
naissance in  Northwestern  Oregon  are  taken  from  14  analyses  by 
different  analysts: 

Moisture,  4.05  to  17.27  per  cent;  average  9.45. 

Volatile  matter,  41.00  to  48.30  per  cent;  average  43.46. 

Fixed  carbon,  32.40  to  44.91  per  cent;  average  36.43. 

Ash,  3.00  to  12.81  per  cent;  average  7.08. 

Sulphur,  .45  to  2.55  per  cent;  average  1.24  per  cent. 

The  coal  beds  occur  in  well  defined  “basins,”  some  of  which  are 
at  an  elevation  of  as  much  as  200  feet  above  sea  level,  with  conse- 
quent advantages  in  the  way  of  accessibility,  drainage  and  gravity 
delivery  to  tide  level.  Others  are  below  sea  level,  and  mining  is  as  a 
result  more  expensive.  In  the  different  basins,  the  thickness  of  the 
coal  bearing  strata  varies,  there  being  but  a single  bed  in  the  New- 
port basin,  while  at  other  places  as  many  as  six  beds,  aggregating 
30  feet  in  thickness,  are  distributed  over  a vertical  distance  of  600 
feet. 

Mining  has  been  in  progress  in  this  district  since  1855,  the 
product  being  shipped  by  schooners  to  San  Francisco.  An  average 
production  of  50,000  tons — v\  hich  is  considerably  less  than  the  pres- 
ent output — was  long  maintained.  The  district  is  reached  by  steamer 
from  Portland  or  San  Francisco,  or  by  stage  leaving  the  Southern 
Pacific  railroad  at  Drain  or  Roseburg. 


12 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Beaver  Hill  Mine — Owned  and  operated  by  J.  D.  Spreckels  and 
Bros.,  San  Francisco.  It  is  situated  about  15  miles  from  Marshfield 
at  Beaver  Hill,  upon  the  line  of  the  Coos  Bay,  Roseburg,  and  Eastern 
railroad,  this  line  bringing  the  coal  from  the  mine  to  the  bunkers  at 
Marshfield.  The  property  has  been  worked  for  about  ten  years,  in 
which  time  the  main  slope  has  been  carried  about  2000  feet.  Three 
hundred  miners  are  employed  in  mining  and  development;  daily  out- 
put estimated  to  be  175  long  tons;  yearly  output  75,000  long  tons. 
W.  S.  Chandler,  Marshfield,  manager. 

Libby  Mine — Goodall,  Perkins  and  Co.,  San  Francisco,  owners. 
A narrow  guage  railroad  brings  the  product  to  Marshfield,  a dis- 
tance of  three  miles.  The  mine  has  been  operated  continuously  for 
over  fifty  years.  It  employs  about  150  men;  daily  output  150  long 
tons;  estimated  yearly  output  45,000  long  tons;  20,000  feet  of  devel- 
opment tunnel.  P.  Hennessey,  Libby,  Oregon,  manager. 

Crescent  Mine — This  mine  is  located  at  Maxwell,  on  Isthmus 
Slough,  about  six  miles  from  Marshfield.  Coal  is  shipped  direct  from 
the  bunkers  at  Maxwell.  Employs  about  100  men  in  raining  and 
development.  Daily  output  at  present  is  about  50  tons,  .but  within 
a few  months  it  is  expected  that  the  product  will  be  at  least  100 
tons  per  day.  Development  has  been  very  active  at  this  property 
for  the  past  two  years.  Slope  is  now  down  300  feet;  a rock  tunnel 
is  started  to  tap  an  upper  vein;  and  work  on  breaker  has  commenced. 
P.  E.  C.  Burke,  Marshfield,  manager. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  the  following  are  undergoing  slow 
development,  and  with  proper  financial  backing  will  become  large 
producers: 

South  Marshfield  mine,  South  Marshfield;  Flanagan  mine,  one 
mile  west  of  Marshfield;  Lillian  Mine,  on  Coos  River,  six  miles  east 
of  Marshfield.  The  last  is  said  to  have  an  eleven  foot  vein  of  coal. 

The  Henry  ville  mine  at  Henryville,  the  Westport  mine  at  West- 
port,  and  the  Glascow  mine  at  Glascow,  on  Coos  Bay,  have  all  been 
worked  more  or  less,  but  are  now  closed  down.  They  all  have  good 
veins  of  coal  but  have  ceased  operations  in  most  cases  from  lack  of 
capital  to  develop  them  properly.  The  Henryville  mine  is  owned  by 
the  Southern  Pacific  Company,  and  has  an  excellent  vein  which  is 
well  developed.  It  is  supposed  that  the  discovery  of  coal  in  the 
Black  Hills  of  California  caused  the  shutting  down  of  this  mine. 

Coquille  Coal  Co. — Located  at  Riverton  on  the  Coquille  River. 
Opened  by  an  incline  of  800  feet.  Seven  distinct  veins  said  to  be 
upon  the  property.  No  details  of  operations  during  the  present  year 
are  given. 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


13 


Little  can  be  said  at  present  regarding  the  newly  reported  coal 
areas  mentioned  above.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Timon  that  the 
deposit  found  by  him  is  the  largest  and  best  strike  made  upon  the 
coast  up  to  the  present  time.  Eleven  veins,  varying  from  thirty 
inches  to  nine  feet  in  width,  are  so  located  that  a 500-loot  adit  will 
cut  them  all.  The  quality  of  the  coal  is  said  to  be  superior  to  that 
found  elsewhere  in  the  region. 

COAL  IN  THE  YAQUINA  FIELD 

No  coal  mines  are  now  in  operation  in  this  field.  It  has  been 
extensively  prospected,  with  the  result,  according  to  Diller,  that  the 
coal  beds  are  shown  to  be  altogether  of  a local  character.  Mr.  B.  F. 
Jones,  of  Toledo,  writes  that  the  Toledo  Coal  Co.  did  considerable 
prospecting  several  years  ago  with  the  result  that  a surface  ledge 
three  feet  thick  was  opened  up,  and  an  eight  foot  ledge  discovered  by 
drilling  to  a depth  of  100  feet.  After  building  400  feet  of  tunnel  to 
crosscut  the  big  vein,  the  company  became  financially  involved,  and 
ceased  operations  before  reaching  its  objective  point.  This  work  was 
done  three  miles  north  of  Toledo,  upon  Depot  Slough.  There  are 
extensive  coal  beds  lying  north  of  Toledo  for  a distance  of  ten  miles, 
and  coal  croppings  of  from  one  to  two  and  one-half  feet  thickness 
have  been  found  within  a radius  of  four  miles.  No  development  or 
prospecting  has  been  done,  however,  for  the  reason  that  this  territory 
is  included  within  an  Indian  reservation. 

LOWER  NEHALEM  COAL 

Deposits  of  coal  are  found  upon  Coal  Creek  and  upon  a branch  of 
Hodge  Creek,  all  in  township  3 north,  range  10  west,  in  Tillamook 
County.  No  developments  of  note  are  reported.  The  coal  is  said  to 
be  hard  and  lustrous.  The  maximum  width  of  the  veins  is  30 
inches. 


UPPER  NEHALEM  COAL  FIELDS 

These  lie  in  Columbia  County  and,  according  to  Diller,  extend  for 
13  miles  from  northeast  to  southwest  with  a width  of  from  one  to 
two  miles.  The  northeastern  terminus  of  the  belt  is  section  27, 
township  5 north,  range  3 west;  the  southwestern  terminus  is  in 
section  34,  township  4 north,  range  4 west.  Exposures  are  said  to 
be  upon  Pebble  Creek,  the  east  fork  of  the  Nehalem,  and  upon 
Clatskanie  Creek. 

The  largest  outcrops  are  upon  Pebble  Creek,  and  more  develop- 


14 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


ment  work  has  been  done  here  than  elsewhere  in  the  district.  There 
are  several  beds  exposed  which  vary  from  a few  inches  to  ten  feet  in 
thickness.  The  coal  is  a lignite,  but  in  many  of  the  beds  hard  and 
lustrous.  An  average  of  three  analyses  gives  in  round  numbers  the 
following  percentages:  moisture,  10.80;  volatile  matter,  42.;  fixed 
carbon,  32.;  ash  14.;  sulphur,  3.60. 

Upon  the  Nehalem  two  veins  have  been  discovered,  the  larger  of 
which  is  five  feet  thick. 

According  to  Mr.  C.  G.  Caples,  of  Columbia,  the  occurrence  of 
coal  is  not  confined  to  the  strip  defined  by  Mr.  Diller.  The  localities 
cited  by  Mr.  Caples  are  not  definitely  assigned,  however,  so  that  an 
exact  comparison  is  not  possible.  He  mentions  a deposit  five  feet 
thick  one  mile  west  of  the  Columbia, — clean,  hard  lignite;  while 
another  mile  west,  the  same  vein  crops  again,  and  has  been  pros- 
pected by  20  feet  of  tunnel.  Ten  miles  to  the  south  lignite  of  about 
the  same  quality  and  in  the  same  amount  crops  upon  the  North 
Scappoose.  Another  bed  is  mentioned  as  occurring  at  the  mouth  of 
Oak  Ranch  Creek  upon  the  Nehalem  River;  Rock  Creek,  tributary  to 
the  Nehalem,  also  carries  coal.  In  Mr.  Caples  opinion  the  coal 
compares  favorably  in  all  respects  with  the  Puget  Sound  product. 

COAL  BETWEEN  THE  CASCADES  AND  THE  COAST  RANGE 

Indications  of  coal  are  reported  at  numerous  places  within  the 
territory  bounded  by  the  Cascade  and  Coast  ranges.  The  Upper 
Nehalem  and  other  Columbia  County  fields  belong  in  it,  and  at 
the  present  time  are  probably  the  most  promising.  Many  of  the 
deposits  of  which  notice  has  been  given  are  doubtless  mere  indica- 
tions, or  at  any  rate  not  enough  development  has  been  done  upon 
them  to  justify  even  an  enumeration  of  their  places  of  occurrence. 

Clackamas  County — In  the  south  half  of  section  27,  township  3 
south,  range  5 east,  is  a bed  of  lignite  18  inches  thick.  Croppings  of 
the  same  character  occur  five  miles  to  the  south.  F.  M.  Gill,  Garfield, 
Or. 

A four-foot  bed  is  said  to  occur  near  Wilhoit  Springs. 

Marion  County — In  township  8 south,  range  1 east,  a six  foot 
vein  is  reported  which  is  being  exploited  by  R.  Archibald  and  W. 
Nichol,  of  Shaw. 

Mr.  L.  H.  McMahan,  of  Salem,  prospected  with  a diamond  drill 
upon  the  Blair-Forward  farm,  in  the  Waldo  Hills,  ten  miles  east  of 
Salem.  A basaltic  formation  was  encountered  at  850  feet,  upon 
which  the  effort  there  was  abandoned.  The  formations  consisted 
mostly  of  sandstone,  soapstone  and  slate,  with  thin  strata  of  imper- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


15 


feet  lignite.  Another  hole  was  drilled,  a half  mile  to  the  east,  which 
penetrated  to  a depth  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-three  feet, — eight  feet 
of  imperfect  coal,  shale  and  slate  being  encountered.  Between  these 
two  holes  four  feet  of  fair  lignite  is  found,  but  it  is  Mr.  McMahan’s 
belief  that  the  deposit  is  purely  local. 

Lane  County — A deposit  near  Creswell,  14  miles  south  of 
Eugene,  is  probably  the  most  important  one  known  in  the  county  at 
the  present  time.  Others  have  been  reported  from  the  foot-hills  of  the 
Coast  Range. 

Yamhill  County — The  Portland  Coal  and  Development  Co.  is 
opening  a ledge  near  North  Yamhill.  The  mine,  which  has  been 
worked  for  a year,  has  a tunnel  system  1500  feet  in  extent,  giving  700 
feet  horizontal  depth  and  400  feet  vertical  depth. 

Douglas  County—  From  the  Roseburg  Folio  of  the  U.  S.  Geo- 
logical Survey  it  is  learned  that  coal  occurs  upon  the  north  fork  of 
the  Umpqua,  upon  Little  River  and  Cavitt  Creek,  and  upon  Coal 
Creek, — all  in  the  eastern  border  of  the  quadrangle.  An  analysis  of 
Cavitt  Creek  coal  is  as  follows:  Moisture  4.61  per  cent;  volatile 
matter,  38.54;  fixed  carbon,  39.00;  ash  17.80;  sulphur  .44. 

East  of  Oakland  a deposit  is  reported  in  section  9,  township  24, 
range  3 west. 

Mr.  Albert  Abraham,  of  Roseburg,  is  interested  in  a deposit  of 
coal  in  section  16,  township  23,  range  8 west.  The  entire  vein 
measures  nine  feet  four  inches  in  width,  but  is  not  homogeneous. 
The  following  is  an  analysis  made  by  Mr.  V.  V.  Sparks  in  the  Uni- 
versity laboratory:  Moisture,  3.78  per  cent;  volatile  41.58;  fixed 
carbon,  43.48;  ash,  11.15;  sulphur  .57. 

A three  foot  vein  of  coal  is  said  to  be  at  Camas  Mountain,  town- 
ship 29,  range  8 west;  another  deposit  is  reported  upon  Smith  River; 
in  section  15,  township  27,  range  7 west,  is  also  a small  seam, — all 
of  these  being  mentioned  in  Diller’s  Geological  Reconnaissance  in 
Northwestern  Oregon. 

Jackson  County—  Coal  is  reported  in  the  vicinity  of  Eagle  Point, 
but  the  most  promising  deposit  in  the  county  is  found  upon  Evans 
Creek  in  section  21,  township  33,  range  2 west.  A vein  11  feet  four 
inches  in  thickness  is  developed  by  a slope  60  feet  deep.  Coal  is  said 
to  be  free  from  sulphur  and  silica.  Major  D.  R.  Andrus,  of  Medford, 
is  familiar  with  the  deposit. 

COAL  IN  EASTERN  OREGON 

The  only  known  deposit  of  importance  in  Eastern  Oregon  at  the 
present  time  is  that  of  the  Heppner  Railroad  and  Coal  Co.,  located 


16 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


20  miles  south  of  Heppner  upon  Willow  Creek.  About  5000  acres  of 
coal  land  is  owned  by  this  corporation,  as  well  as  the  right  of  way 
for  a railroad  from  Heppner  to  the  property.  The  coal  is  lignite,  a 
reputed  analysis  of  which  is  as  follows:  Moisture,  1.26  percent; 
volatile  matter,  33.20  per  cent;  fixed  carbon,  54.74;  ash,  9.70;  sul- 
phur, 1.00.  It  is  said  to  be  hard  enough  to  ship  well,  and  has  been 
given  a practical  test  by  the  0.  R,  and  N.  company  which  has  demon- 
strated its  value  as  a steaming  coal.  A considerable  quantity  of 
coal  is  blocked  out  by  the  development  work,  and  awaits  the  com- 
pletion of  transportation  facilities. 

It  is  asserted  that  coal  underlies  the  whole  country  between 
The  Dalles  and  Heppner,  and  some  prospecting  with  drills  has  been 
done  during  the  past  year  to  demonstrate  the  truth  of  the  belief. 
Near  The  Dalles,  a diamond  drill  has  penetrated  to  a depth  of  a 
thousand  feet  or  so,  in  the  course  of  which,  it  is  stated,  a bed  of  lig- 
nite 11  feet  in  thickness  was  passed  through.  Mr.  P.  L.  Kretzer,  of 
The  Dalles,  has  had  this  work  in  charge. 

Coal  prospects  are  reported  at  other  points  in  the  John  Day  val- 
ley, but  no  developments  have  been  made,  and  detailed  information 
concerning  them  seems  difficult  to  get. 

In  many  other  localities  east  of  the  Cascades,  traces  of  coal  are 
reported,  but  at  the  present  time  nothing  definite  can  be  said  con- 
cerning them. 

COBALT 

The  occurrence  of  cobalt  is  confined  almost  entirely  to  the 
Standard  Conshlidated  mine  at  Quartzburg,  with  the  description 
of  which  an  account  of  the  cobalt  produced  there  is  given. 

Traces  are  reported  from  other  localities,  but  in  no  instance  in 
commercial  quantities.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Kerby,  Josephine 
County,  float  specimens  of  what  is  probably  erythrite  are  found. 


COPPER 

Copper  in  Oregon  occurs  for  the  greater  part  associated  with 
gold  and  silver,  and  has  therefore  been  discussed  simultaneously  with 
those  metals.  The  main  copper  bearing  localities  are  the  following: 
Itnnaha  district,  Iron  Dyke  district,  North  Powder  district,  Quartz- 
burg district, — all  in  eastern  Oregon;  Dodson  Butte,  and  Upper  and 
South  Umpqua,  Douglas  County;  and  in  the  Coast  Range  Mountains 
of  Curry  and  Josephine  counties. 

In  the  Waldo  district  of  the  last  locality  named  is  probably  the 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


17 


most  distinctly  copper- bearing  area  in  the  state.  The  properties 
there  which  have  received  the  greatest  amount  of  development  are 
those  of  the  Waldo  Smelting  Co  , and  are  said  to  have  a large  quan- 
tity of  good  ore  blocked  out  awaiting  better  transportation  facili- 
ties. This  company  under  a different  name, — The  Oregon  and  Pacific 
Railway  Construction  Co., — has  surve}7ed  the  right  of  way  for  a 
road  to  extend  from  Grants  Pass  to  Eureka,  Cailfornia.  Col.  T. 
Waln-Morgan  Draper,  of  San  Francisco,  is  at  the  head  of  the  enter- 
prise. 

The  Mountainview  Mine — Owned  by  the  Vulcan  Smelter  Co., 
has  a copper  proposition  opened  up  by  several  hundred  feet  of  tun- 
nels and  drifts.* 

The  Queen  of  Bronze  has  a ledge  four  to  eleven  feet  wide  opened 
by  a shaft  110  feet  deep  and  by  drifts.  A steam  hoist  is  a part  of  the 
equipment.  Mr.  J.  P.  Murphv  is  in  charge. 


GOLD  AND  SILVER 


These  two  metals  occur  together  in  almost  every  case,  and  so 
will  be  discussed  simultaneously.  The  productive  areas  are  found  in 
the  Blue  Mountain  region  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  state;  intermit- 
tently in  the  Cascades  for  practically  their  whole  length  in  Oregon; 
and  in  the  mountainous  region  of  the  Southwest.  In  small  quanti- 
ties gold  and  silver  may  be  found  most  widely  scattered,  there  being 
very  few  places  in  the  state  not  covered  by  recent  lava  flows  which 
will  not  yield  traces  of  these  metals.  The  flood  plains  of  many  of  the 
rivers  in  Oregon  are  composed  of  material  carrying  small  values, — 
too  small,  unfortunately,  in  many  cases,  it  must  be  said,  to  pay  for 
extraction  by  any  of  the  methods  in  use  at  present,  but  which  will  in 
time,  it  is  hoped,  be  recovered  at  a profit.  The  difficulties  incident  to 
saving  the  gold  from  the  sands  of  the  Snake,  and  the  beaches  of  the 
western  coast,  which  are  typical  cases  of  the  kind,  are  treated  at 
length  in  the  various  publications  of  the  Geological  Survey,  in  the 
Mineral  Industry,  and  many  other  places.  When  the  problem  is 
finally  solved  untold  millions  must  result  as  a consequence  of  the 
working  of  such  deposits.  Besides  these,  however,  there  is  much 
virgin  ground  which  would  even  now  pay  handsomely  for  intelligent 
exploitation  by  dredging  and  similar  methods.  Other  districts  are 
known,  too,  in  which  it  is  supposed  that  vast  low-grade  deposits  of 

*Upon  the  lower  Illinois  copper  deposits  also  occur,  frequently  show 
ing  masses  of  native  metal  of  considerable  size. 


18 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


auriferous  quartz  occur,  but  which  must  lie  idle,  undeveloped  even, 
until  problems  of  transportation  are  solved  which  will  make  them 
commercial  possibilities. 


THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  PLACER  GOLD  IN  OREGON 

(Contributed  by  C.  W.  Washburne.) 

In  Oregon  placer  gold  is  limited  to  areas  of  the  older  rocks  or  to 
their  vicinity.  This  means  to  pre-Jurassic  rocks  in  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains, and  to  pre-Tertiary  rocks  in  Southwestern  Oregon.  Of  course 
the  streams  from  these  areas  carry  fine  gold  even  to  the  sea,  and  it 
may  be  detected  in  their  gravels  and  sands  at  many  places  to  so 
great  an  extent,  indeed,  that  in  sea  beaches  two  hundred  miles  from 
old  rocks  flour  gold  is  so  plentiful  that  it  is  supposed  to  contain  for- 
tunes for  those  who  will  find  a way  to  save  it.  But  stream  gold 
which  can  be  saved  by  methods  now  in  use  and  in  paying  quantities 
is  limited  to  the  vicinity  of  old  rocks.  This  is  not  a theory  but  a 
fact  observed  during  several  years  of  field  work  in  the  placer  districts 
of  Oregon  and  during  numerous  reconnaissances  in  the  Coast  and 
Cascade  Ranges.  It  may  be  clearly  seen  by  picking  out  the  placer 
mines  on  Lindgren’s  map  of  the  Gold  Belt  of  the  Blue  Mountains*. 

The  reason  for  this  distribution  is  not  hard  to  find.  The  later 
rocks  in  the  Blue  Mountains  do  not  contain  much  gold.  The  work- 
able veins  of  the  region  are  in  Triassic  or  in  Paleozoic  rocks.  Gold 
coarse  enough  and  abundant  enough  to  be  worked  with  profit,  can 
therefore  not  be  found  in  the  stream  beds  where  these  rocks  are  cov- 
ered for  any  considerable  distance  by  later  lavas  or  sediments.  The 
same  reason  applies  to  Southwestern  Oregon,  except  that  in  this 
region  mineralization  continued  through  the  Lower  Cretaceous 
(Knoxville)  and  probably  into  the  Upper  Cretaceous  (Chico),  but 
did  not  continue  thereafter,  or  at  most  only  feebly.  In  both  regions 
secondary  enrichment  may  have  continued  to  the  present  day,  but 
primary  deposition  ceased  at  the  times  mentioned. 

This  explanation  is  not  entirely  sufficient,  however.  That  the 
presence  of  gold  bearing  deposits  in  the  rocks  does  not  mean  the 
presence  of  workable  placers  in  the  streams  is  evident  from  a study 
of  the  Cascades,  though  of  course  the  absence  of  gold  in  the  rock  of 
any  region  must  always  result  in  the  absence  of  placers.  In  the  Cas- 
cades of  Oregon  and  Washington  there  are  many  quartz  veins  which 
yield  paying  quantities  of  gold.  The  gold  is  in  Tertiary  rocks,  and 
its  deposition  has  continued  almost  to  present  time.  In  this  case  the 


Twenty-second  Annual  Rept.  U.  S.  Gol.  Surv.,  Part  II,  PI.  LXIV. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


19 


absence  of  paying  quantities  of  gold  in  the  stream  is  due  to  the 
slight  amount  of  erosion  which  the  ore  bodies  have  suffered.  Since 
the  late  Tertiary  the  canyons  of  the  Cascades  have  been  cut,  and  in 
some  cases  divides  have  been  worn  to  sharp  ridges.  More  often  the 
dividing  ridges  are  broad  and  along  their  summits  have  approxi- 
mately the  surface  of  the  last  lava  flows  that  did  not  enter  the  pres- 
ent canyons.  In  other  words,  erosionhas  been  slight,  being  limited  to 
the  cutting  of  the  valleys  and  canyons  of  the  range.  The  scarcity  of 
stream  deposits  among  the  lavas  and  tuffs  of  the  range  shows  that 
previous  to  the  cutting  of  the  present  canyons  the  piling  up  of  vol- 
canic material  greatly  exceeded  erosion.  Hence  at  that  time  veins 
were  more  likely  to  be  covered  than  to  be  worn  down  by  weathering. 

In  the  Blue  Mountains  and  in  the  Klamath  Mountains*,  on  the 
other  hand,  there  has  been  great  erosion  since  the  deposition  of  the 
ores.  The  erosion  of  the  crumpled  pre-Jurassic  rocks  of  the  Blue 
Mountains  probably  amounts  to  many  thousand  feet  vertically. 
The  erosion  of  the  pre-Tertiary  rocks  of  the  Klamath  Mountains 
must  have  been  almost  as  great,  as  Mr.  Dillerf  has  found  evidence 
that  these  mountains  were  once  covered  by  a heavy  mantle  of  Cre- 
taceous strata  which  has  since  been  almost  entirely  stripped  off. 
The  latter  region  has  been  worn  down  to  sea-level,  and  elevated  for 
recutting  into  its  present  form,  since  the  deposition  of  the  gold  ores. 
This  erosion,  to  which  that  of  the  Cascades  is  insignificant,  has  re- 
sulted in  the  breaking  up  of  millions  of  tons  of  gold  ore,  the  streams 
concentrating  most  of  the  gold  therefrom  within  a short  distance 
from  its  source. 

It  is  a natural  deduction  from  these  two  arguments  that  valu- 
able placers  will  never  be  found  in  the  Cascades  south  of  central 
Washington, n or  in  the  Coast  Range  between  the  Olympic  Mountains 
and  the  Klamath  Mountains. 


BEACH  GOLD  AND  ITS  SOURCE 

(Contributed  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Washburne.) 

The  Oregon  coast  has  many  deposits  of  black  sand,  but  they 
furnish  paying  quantities  of  gold  in  but  very  few  places.  The  sand 
is  abundant  from  beyond  the  California  line  to  Long  Beach,  in 

•Klamath  Mountains  is  the  name  given  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey 
to  the  mountains  of  Southwestern  Oregon  and  Northwestern  California 
comprising  the  Siskiyous  and  part  of  the  Rogue  River  Mountains  in  Oregon, 
and  the  Salmon,  Trinity  and  other  mountains  in  California.  They  are 
composed  of  pre-Tertiary  rocks  and  hence  include  all  the  gold  deposits  of 
Southern  Oregon. 

fBulletin  Geological  Society  of  America,  vol.  4,  p.  214. 


20 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Washington,  and  will  give  tests  for  gold  at  any  place.  But  no  miner 
has  yet  found  a practicable  means  of  working  the  sands  farther  north 
than  the  mouth  of  Big  Creek,  in  Lane  County,*  where  in  1902  the  writer 
found  Mr.  William  Reynolds  saving  about  two  dollars  a day  by 
working  between  tides  with  a rocker.  Mr.  Reynolds  also  showed 
the  writer  a vial  containing  about  three  ounces  of  platinum  which  he 
had  saved  in  a winter’s  work.  Mixed  with  the  platinum  was  another 
white  substance,  probably  iridosmine,  which  constituted  about  one 
fifth  of  the  mass. 

South  of  the  above  place  gold  has  been  mined  along  the  beach 
at  innumerable  places.  At  the  mouth  of  Rogue  River  there  are  some 
beach  mines  that  were  once  among  the  richest  placers  of  Oregon. 
The  discoverers  of  the  deposits  just  north  of  the  mouth  of  Rogue 
River  found  it  exceedingly  profitable  to  mine  them,  even  though  for 
lack  of  horses,  it  was  necessary  to  hire  men  to  carry  the  black  sand 
on  their  backs  to  the  top  of  the  terrace  back  of  the  beach  where 
running  water  could  be  had  for  washing  out  the  gold.  This  was  in  the 
sixties.  Since  then  these  sands,  as  well  as  those  near  Gold  Beach* 
across  the  river,  have  been  practically  exhausted,  being  worked 
today  in  a most  desultory  way. 

The  source  of  gold  in  the  beach  sands  is  an  interesting  problem. 
Miners  along  the  beach  believe  it  has  been  brought  down  by  streams 
from  backlying  parts  of  the  Coast  Range,  and  concentrated  on  the 
shore  by  the  waves.  They  argue  that  the  presence  of  black  sand  in 
these  streams  supports  their  view,  but  this  black  sand,  which  is 
mostly  magnetite,  occurs  in  nearly  all  the  rivers  of  Oregon  which 
have  basalt  or  other  basic  igneous  rocks  on  their  drainage,  and  rare- 
ly contains  more  than  a trace  of  gold.  In  the  Coast  Range  it  is  not 
known  to  contain  platinum  or  iridosmine,  which  are  nearly  always 
associated  with  the  beach  gold. 

We  must  therefore  conclude  that  the  gold  has  been  transported 
along  the  coast  from  the  north  or  from  the  south.  We  have  already 
noted  the  fact  that  the  gold  is  too  fine  or  scarce  in  the  black  sands 
from  Long  Beach  to  the  coast  of  Lane  County  to  be  successfully 
worked.  We  have  also  noted  that  the  richest  sands  are  at  the  mouth 
of  Rogue  River.  South  of  this  stream  the  sands  are  not  rich  and 
have  never  been  worked  beyond  the  Klamath  River.  By  examining 
a map  of  Oregon  it  may  be  seen  that  all  the  spits  at  the  mouths  of 
rivers  point  northward,  indicating  that  the  movement  of  sand  is  in 
that  direction.  In  the  gold-bearing  sands  and  elsewhere  along  the 


‘Reports  have  been  received  from  Mr.  B.  F.  Jones,  of  Toledo,  who  is 
successfully  working  a beach  deposit  at  Otter  Rock,  Lincoln  County,  which 
is  north  of  the  point  indicated  by  Mr.  Washburne. — Author. 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


21 


beaches  are  small,  bright  colored  strips  of  sand  which  owe  their  color 
to  garnet  or  epidote,  minerals  unknown  in  the  Coast  Range  but  com- 
mon in  the  Klamath  Mountains  of  Southern  Oregon.  The  conclusion 
is  that  the  gold-bearing  sands  have  been  driven  by  the  waves  from 
southern  Oregon,  and  that  Rogue  River  has  been  the  most  important 
stream  in  taking  this  gold  to  the  sea  from  its  original  resting  place 
in  the  rocks  of  the  Klamath  Mountains. 


DREDGING  OPERATIONS  IN  OREGON 

The  scene  of  greatest  activity  in  dredging  operations  in  the  state 
so  far  has  been  upon  Snake  River,  the  bars  of  which,  for  practically 
the  entire  length  of  the  stream,  carry  values  in  gold.  The  metal  oc- 
curs in  very  thin  scales,  several  hundred  colors  sometimes  being  re- 
quired for  one  cent  in  value.  The  problem  of  saving  such  gold  is  a 
vexing  one,  and  numerous  devices  have  been  proposed  having  this 
purpose  in  view.  Some  success  has  been  achieved  by  the  use  of  burlap 
in  the  sluices,  in  conjunction  with  copper  plates  for  amalgamation. 
Discussions  of  the  manner  of  occurrence  of  the  gold,  together  with 
accounts  of  dredging  practice,  are  to  be  found  in  Lindgren’s  article  in 
the  Twenty-second  Annual  Report  of  the  Geological  Survey,  part  2, 
page  759;  in  the  Mining  and  Scientific  Press,  December  29,  1900; 
and  in  the  several  volumes  of  the  Mineral  Industry. 

Inquiries  into  the  status  of  the  industry  upon  Snake  River  for  the 
year  past  brought  reports  from  but  a single  dredge,  though  others 
are  known  to  exist,  and  may  have  been  in  operation.  The  dredge  in 
question  has  been  working  near  Ontario.  It  is  the  property  of  the 
Moraine  Mining  Co.,  and  has  a capacity  of  2000  yards  of  gravel  per 
24  hours.  The  gravels  handled  are  said  to  carry  17  to  35  cents  a 
yard. 

The  Pomeroy  Dredging  Co.,  of  Portland,  had  a plant  at  work  a 
few  years  ago  in  the  bed  of  Burnt  River,  below  Weatherby,  Baker 
County.  Difficulties  in  operation,  presumably,  brought  about  a ces- 
sation of  operations. 

A dredge  seems  to  be  a possibility  in  the  near  future  for  the  Crane 
Flat  placers,  near  the  Cougar  mine,  Granite  district. 

On  the  John  Day  River,  four  miles  below  the  town  of  John  Day, 
the  Empire  Dredging  Co.,  of  Portland,  is  operating  a large  plant 
with  notable  success,  according  to  all  accounts.  The  dredge  is  of  the 
bucket  type,  each  bucket  having  a capacity  of  seven  cubic  yards.  A 
250  horse-power  steam  plant  is  used  to  drive  the  machinery.  The 
gravels  are  said  to  contain  30  cents  a yard. 


22 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


In  Southern  Oregon  a dredge  is  nearing  completion  upon  Foots 
Creek,  a tributary  of  the  Rogue  between  Grants  Pass  and  Gold  Hill, 
the  Champlin  Dredging  Co.,  of  Chicago,  being  the  owners.  About 
1200  acres  of  dredging  ground  has  been  made  available  in  the  Foots 
Creek  basin  by  the  building  of  a dam  near  its  point  of  confluence 
with  Rogue  River.  The  hull  of  the  dredge  is  112  feet  long,  37  feet 
wide  and  8 feet  deep.  When  loaded  with  its  175,000  pounds  of  ma- 
chinery it  will  draw  four  feet  of  water.  In  its  construction  225,000 
feet  of  lumber  was  used.  The  elevated  material  first  passes  into  a 
revolving  screen  by  which  the  heavier  wash  is  carried  over  the  side, 
the  finer  being  raised  to  sluices  above,  which  are  so  arranged  that 
they  can  be  directed  to  any  point  from  a right  angle  on  either  side  to 
dead  astern.  The  length  of  these  sluices  is  100  feet,  giving  a large 
area  of  dump.  The  dredging  elevator  is  81  feet  long  and  has  42 
buckets  of  eight  cubic  feet  capacity  each.  A steam  plant  develops 
150  horse  power.  The  daily  capacity  is  stated  to  be  from  3000  to 
4500  cubic  yards.  Cost  of  the  plant  is  $60,000.  It  is  expected  that 
the  dredge  will  begin  operations  within  a short  time. 

Dredging  operations  are  contemplated  for  the  Sixes  River,  Coos 
County,  where  values  in  gold,  platinum  and  osmiridium  are  to  be 
saved;  for  Evans  Creek,  northern  Josephine  County;  and  for  Bolan 
creek,  tributary  to  the  Illinois. 

The  dredging  industry  in  Oregon  is  doubtless  in  its  infancjr,  as 
many  locations  are  yet  available  which  can  be  made  to  yield  profita- 
ble returns  by  this  method  of  mining. 


GOLD  AND  SILVER  IN  EASTERN  OREGON 

The  most  thoroughly  developed  mineral  area  of  the  state  is  situ- 
ated in  Baker,  Union,  Wallowa,  Grant  and  Malheur  counties  within 
the  territory  covered  by  the  Blue  Mountains.  Baker  County  is  in 
the  center  of  the  area  and  contains  a greater  part  of  it.  Only  the 
outer  edges  of  the  mineral  belt  extend  into  Wallowa  and  Union 
counties  on  the  north  and  into  Malheur  and  Harney  counties  on  the 
south.  The  belt  extends  intermittently  to  the  west,  however,  as  far 
as  the  Trout  Creek  district  in  Crook  County 

Eastern  Oregon  was  quite  active  during  1903,  and  the  close  of 
the  year  marks  a substantial  advance  in  the  general  condition  of 
things.  A number  of  enterprises  have  been  under  way  which  will, 
if  completed,  do  much  toward  solving  the  troublesome  problems  of 
transportation  upon  which  the  profitable  working  of  many  of  the 
properties  is  contingent;  the  field  of  operations  has  been  extended 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


23 


somewhat;  and  much  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  weeding  out  tares, 
sowing  new  grain,  and  cultivating  plants  alread3T  growing  or  pro- 
ducing. 

An  event  of  significance  in  the  district  has  been  the  completion  of 
the  Sumpter  smelter.  This  enterprise  was  launched  in  the  fall  of 
1902  and  made  its  initial  run  in  the  last  days  of  December,  1903. 
The  furnace  in  this  plant  is  a 38x140  Allis-Chalmers  water-jacketed 
matting  furnace  with  hot  blast  stove,  and  dust  flue-chambers.  An 
excellent  sampling  installation,  together  with  briquetting  machinery, 
steam  power  plant,  electric  lighting  apparatus,  storage  bins,  assay 
laboratories,  administration  buildings,  etc.,  constitute  adjunctive 
features.  Dr.  Edward  W.  Mueller  is  manager. 

The  Alamo  District 

The  Alamo  Mining  district  is  situated  twenty  miles  by  stage 
road  west  of  Sumpter.  The  town  of  Alamo  is  upon  Clear  Creek 
which  near  by  receives  two  tributaries,  Beaver  Creek  and  Olive 
Creek.  The  territory  adjacent  to  all  of  these  streams  is  mineralized, 
while  the  gravels  in  their  beds  have  long  been  worked  for  gold. 

Alamo — The  Alamo  group  consists  of  five  patented  claims  located 
upon  the  ridge  between  Olive  and  Clear  creeks.  Developments  con- 
sist in  a crosscut  1300  feet  to  the  vein  at  a depth  upon  the  latter  of 
510  feet.  Drifts  upon  the  vein  on  this  level  have  been  carried  some 
500  feet,  giving  a vertical  depth  of  800  feet.  Tunnel  No.  2 upon  the 
vein  has  1400  feet  of  work.  Tunnel  No.  1 is  near  the  top  of  the  hill. 
Developments  show  a continuous  vein  19  to  25  feet  in  width,  with 
free  milling  ore  in  the  upper  parts  at  least.  In  May  a 10,000-feet 
capacity  saw  mill  was  installed,  together  with  a water  power  plant 
to  utilize  the  water  from  Clear  Creek.  Later  a building  for  a 20- 
stamp  mill  was  erected,  and  ten  stamps  and  six  concentrating  tables 
installed.  Stamps  were  dropping  in  this  plant  the  last  of  December. 
J.  P.  McGuigan  is  in  charge. 

Olive  Creek  Placers— These  placers  are  located  in  Olive  Creek  above 
Alamo.  The  creek  bed  is  said  to  be  wide  and  the  gravels  deep,  but 
extensive  operations  have  been  impossible  by  old  methods  on  account 
of  lack  of  dumping  facilities.  The  property  is  now  in  the  hands  of 
Killen,  Warner,  Stewart  and  Co.,  with  D.  T.  McCoy  in  charge.  It  is 
equipped  with  two  reservoirs,  two  and  a half  miles  of  ditch,  and 
four  giants.  Two  No.  1 giants  and  one  No.  2 were  operating  all 
summer,  and  a large  force  of  men  has  been  employed  practically  all 
year, 


24 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


St.  Anthony — This  property  is  located  upon  the  south  side  of 
Clear  Creek.  A small  development  force  has  been  at  work  most  of 
the  past  year,  during  which  time  the  main  tunnel  was  carried  to 
1000  feet  and  then  abandoned.  A new  tunnel  started  upon  a paral- 
lel vein  was  in  some  500  feet  at  last  reports. 

Little  Giant — Situated  six  miles  from  Alamo,  at  the  toot  of  Green- 
horn Mountain.  It  was  located  in  1898  and  promised  to  be  a good 
property,  but  for  various  reasons  has  failed  to  materialize.  In  addi- 
tion to  other  developments  a crosscut  to  strike  the  vein  at  depth  was 
driven  1600  feet,  but  then  abandoned.  No  reports  of  work  upon  this 
property  during  the  past  year  have  been  received. 

Anderson  Group — This  group,  sometimes  spoken  of  as  the  Golden 
Fleece,  is  upon  Beaver  Creek,  below  Alamo  proper.  It  has  been  de- 
veloped lightly  for  three  years,  but  in  December  was  bought  by  I.  W. 
Anderson  and  G.  W.  Boggs,  of  Tacoma,  who  are  pushing  further 
developments. 

Scandia  Tunnel  Co. — This  company  is  running  a long  crosscut 
tunnel  to  tap  ledges  cropping  near  the  summit.  Work  has  been  in 
progress  tor  three  years  and  it  is  expected  that  it  will  be  continued 
through  the  winter.  The  breast  of  the  tunnel  is  now  2600  feet  from 
the  portal,  giving  a vertical  depth  of  600  to  700  feet.  The  main 
vein  is  supposed  to  be  still  ahead,  though  two  or  three  small  veins 
have  been  cut.  The  property  is  near  the  Quebec. 

Strashurg  Claim— On  Olive  Creek  one  mile  above  Alamo.  One  or 
two  big  veins  are  reported  which  are  developed  by  1200  feet  of  work- 
ings. A good  ore  body  is  claimed. 

Quebec — Located  upon  the  ridge  between  Clear  Creek  and  Olive 
Creek  three  miles  west  of  Alamo.  It  is  developed  by  three  tunnels 
which  are  in  the  aggregate  1500  to  1800  feet  in  length,  and  which 
prove  a wide  ore  body.  Late  in  1902  a 10-stamp  mill  was  erected  to 
be  operated  by  a 70-horse  power  steam  plant.  Four  concentrating 
tables  are  included  in  the  equipment.  Early  in  the  year  several  mill 
runs  were  made  from  ore  in  the  upper  workings.  In  July,  the  prop- 
erty was  bonded  to  Detroit  capitalists  who  are  pushing  operations. 

Big  Producer  Group — Development  work  upon  this  property  con- 
sists of  a 500-foot  crosscut  tunnel  on  the  Moulder  Boy  claim,  a 200- 
foot  crosscut  on  the  Boston  claim,  together  with  drifts  and  surface 
cuts.  The  group  was  enlarged  during  the  year  by  the  purchase  of 
adjoining  claims.  Good  ore  is  reported.  W.  R.  Chambers  is  in 
charge. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


25 


Pine  Creek  Placer — Operated  through  the  Killen  Warner  Stewart 
Co.  by  the  Pine  Creek  Placer  Co.  Two  giants  and  a Ruble  elevator 
were  in  use  during  the  past  year. 

Oro  Pino — Developed  by  700  to  1000  feet  of  work,  and  was 
worked  most  of  the  year  just  passed.  The  last  work  consisted  in 
sinking  a winze  from  the  main  adit  50  feet,  proving  ore  to  that 
depth  below  the  tunnel  level. 

Double  Eagle — Crosscut  tunnel  of  1200  feet  driven  nearly  to  the 
main  vein.  In  addition,  500  feet  of  drifting  upon  the  vein  in  an 
upper  level  has  been  done. 

Other  properties  which  have  received  mention  in  the  current  min- 
ing literature  during  the  past  year  are  the  Denver;  Paymaster,  with 
400  feet  of  crosscut;  Denny,  proving  ore  for  1000  feet;  and  the  Six- 
teen-to-One,  adjacent  to  the  Double  Eagle. 

The  Bonanza  District 

The  location  of  this  district  is  at  the  headwaters  of  the  North 
Fork  of  Burnt  River,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Blue  Mountain 
Range,  township  10  south,  range  35,  3546,  and  36  east.  The  princi- 
pal mine  of  the  district  is  the  Bonanza,  which  has  been  one  of  the 
greatest  of  Eastern  Oregon  mines,  its  total  production  being  esti- 
mated at  a million.  In  addition  to  the  properties  described  below, 
important  placers  are  operated,  and  the  usual  number  of  minor 
prospects  are  in  evidence. 

The  Lucky  Boy — The  group  was  taken  in  hand  early  in  the  year 
by  a company  having  headquarters  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts, 
and  development  has  since  been  in  progress.  A 300-foot  tunnel  had 
been  dtiven  at  last  accounts. 

The  Richmond — The  vein  upon  this  property  is  parallel  to  the 
Bonanza.  It  has  a shaft  200  feet  deep,  drifts  of  400  feet  and  other 
workings.  Included  in  the  equipment  is  a hoist  and  a 10-stamp  mill. 
Operations  have  been  suspended  during  the  past  two  years. 

The  Pacific  Group — Formerly  known  as  the  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee. Located  a mile  and  a half  north  of  the  Bonanza,  in  Westfall 
Basin.  Four  claims  are  included  in  the  group,  which  is  owned  by  W. 
E.  Hurd.  Developments  have  been  active  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  year  and  now  aggregate  500  feet. 

The  Jay  Gould — Located  near  the  head  of  Pine  Creek  and  directly 
north  of  Whitney.  About  2000  feet  of  development  weyk  has  been 


26 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


done  upon  the  property.  The  three  veins  are  approached  by  a cross- 
cut, and  results  seem  to  warrant  the  erection  of  a ten-stamp  mill, 
which  it  is  expected  will  be  installed  soon. 

Blackbird — Developed  by  a crosscut,  900  feet  in  length,  which 
intersects  three  veins.  Drifting  has  been  done  upon  two  of  these. 

Resolute — Adjoins  the  Bonanza  on  the  southwest.  Three  leads 
have  been  developed  by  about  1000  feet  of  workings. 

Gladstone — Located  in  Westfall  Basin.  The  vein  is  opened  by  a 
crosscut  500  feet  long.  Drifting  is  now  in  progress.  W.  H.  Mead  is 
manager. 

Bonanza — This  mine  is  operated  at  present  by  means  of  a three- 
compartment  shaft  which  has  reached  a depth  of  1200  feet.  A mod- 
ern hoisting  plant  with  a sinking  capacity  of  2000  feet  is  in  use, 
and  further  depth  is  being  sought  continually.  The  adit  tunnel 
through  which  the  mine  was  formerly  worked  enters  the  shaft  over 
300  feet  below  the  croppings.  It  is  said  that  all  the  ore  above  the 
600  level  has  been  stoped  out.  Good  ore  bodies  have  been  developed 
in  the  lower  levels,  however,  and  the  property  promises  to  continue 
its  record  as  a large  producer.  Over  three  miles  of  workings  are  re- 
ported. The  equipment  includes  a 40-stamp  mill  driven  by  a 320- 
horse-power  steam  plant,  an  aerial  tram  2000  feet  long,  and  the 
hoist  described  above.  The  mill  has  not  been  run  at  its  full  capac- 
ity during  past  the  year,  an  average  of  20  to  30  stamps  having  been 
operated. 

Winterville  Placers — This  property  was  a very  early  location 
which  has  not  only  been  very  productive  in  its  time,  but  which,  bn 
account  of  the  discovery  of  a “Webfoot”  bedrock  three  years  ago, 
will  undoubtedly  yield  a considerable  output  for  many  years  to  come. 
The  newly  discovered  bed  of  pay  gravels  is  five  feet  thick,  and  from 
two  hundred  to  three  hundred  feet  wide.  It  is  covered  by  a layer  of 
soil  12  to  20  feet  in  depth  which  must  be  removed  before  the  deposit 
of  cemented  gravels  carrying  the  values  can  be  worked.  The  gravels 
occupy  the  bed  of  an  ancient  river  which  strikes  up  the  slope  of  the 
present  drainage  system. 


Cable  Cove  District 

The  mines  of  this  district  are  almost  all  to  be  found  in  township 
8 south,  range  36  east.  The  district  is  10  miles  north  of  Sumpter, 
and  on  the  watershed  between  the  headwaters  of  the  North  Fork  of 
the  John  Day  River  and  Powder  River.  The  ores  are  heavy  with  sul- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


27 


phides  of  iron,  lead,  copper,  and  zinc,  the  oxidized  zone,  according  to 
Lindgren,  being  30  to  50  feet  deep. 

Last  Chance — Several  claims  are  included  in  this  property  which 
is  owned  and  operated  by  the  Baby  McKee  Consolidated  Mines  Co., 
under  the  direction  of  L.  G.  Lilley.  It  is  developed  by  900  feet  of 
tunnels  and  drifts,  and  a shaft  100  feet  deep  which  is  supposed  to  be 
at  the  point  of  convergence  of  the  Gray  Eagle  and  Imperial  veins. 
The  ore  is  auriferous  pyrite,  and  is  of  a quality  to  justify  considerable 
shipping  during  the  development  work.  Offices  and  other  buildings 
have  been  erected;  a hoist  with  500  feet  sinking  capacity  has  been 
installed;  and  preparations  are  being  made  for  the  building  of  a mill 
within  the  next  few  months. 

Baby  McKee — Property  of  the  Baby  McKee  Consolidated  Mines 
Co.  Opened  by  about  3000  feet  of  tunnel  work,  included  in  which  is 
a long  crosscut  to  reach  the  Baby  McKee  and  Chloride  vein  systems 
at  900  feet  depth.  At  last  reports  this  tunnel  was  in  1800  feet  and 
had  cut  two  or  three  veins  upon  which  some  drifting  had  been  done. 
The  ore  is  auriferous  pyrite.  A four-drill  compressor  is  in  use,  and 
the  installation  of  a mill  is  being  discussed. 

California — The  California  is  one  of  the  oldest  mines  in  Eastern 
Oregon.  It  had  been  inactive  for  quite  a period,  however,  when  the 
present  owners,  the  Turnagain  Arm  Co.,  took  it  up  for  further  devel- 
opment a year  or  two  ago.  During  1903  a large  amount  of  devel- 
opment work  was  done.  The  mine  is  opened  by  five  tunnels  and  a 
long  crosscut,  the  latter,  with  its  drifts  upon  the  vein,  giving  a depth 
of  1000  feet.  The  ore  is  carried  by  a gravity  tram  2800  feet  to  the 
mill.  Altogether  4280  feet  of  tunnel  work  has  been  done  upon  the 
property.  Like  other  mines  in  this  district  the  California  yields  ores 
heavy  with  sulphides,  and  for  the  treatment  of  these  the  company 
has  installed  a concentrating,  roasting  and  cyanide  plant.  The  con- 
centrating plant  consists  of  a 200-ton  gyratory  crusher,  two  sets  of 
Cornish  rolls,  two  new  Standard  tables,  with  sizers  and  other  ad- 
juncts. A reverberatory  roasting  furnace  was  installed  during  the 
last  weeks  of  1903,  and  also  12  leaching  tanks.  Power  is  supplied 
by  an  80-horse-power  steam  plant.  L.  R.  Bellman  is  manager. 

Constellation — The  Constellation  group  is  on  Bi^  Limber  Creek 
on  the  John  Day  slope  of  the  district.  It  has  a large,  well  defined 
vein  which  has  had  some  development. 

Crown  Point — The  location  of  this  property  is  upon  the  Silver 
Creek  side  of  the  Cove.  It  has  one  good  vein,  yielding  both  milling 
and  shipping  ore,  and  two  smaller  veins.  Development  consists 


28 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


mainly  of  a crosscut  now  in  900  feet  which  cuts  the  smaller  veins 
and  is  supposed  to  be  near  the  larger  one.  Other  workings  give  a 
total  of  1200  feet.  A small  compressor  plant  is  in  use. 

Gipsy  King  and  Gipsy  Queen — These  claims  were  purchased  three 
years  ago  by  a Boston  syndicate,  but  for  some  reason  have  remained 
idle.  It  is  reported  that  they  contain  good  ore  which  has  been  opened 
by  some  500  feet  of  workings. 

Imperial—  The  Imperial  group,  consisting  of  23  claims,  is  located 
east  of  the  California.  The  Imperial  vein  is  opened  by  an  adit  1100 
feet  in  length,  the  Eagle  vein  by  a 500  foot  adit, — these  tunnels  taken 
together  with  other  workings  making  an  aggregate  of  some  3000 
feet.  The  ore,  which  contains  galena,  blende,  pyrite,  arsenopyrite, 
and  chalcopyrite,  carries  good  values  and  much  of  it  has  been 
shipped.  The  property  has  been  retarded  in  its  development  by 
disagreements  among  its  owners,  but  during  the  past  year  an  under- 
standing has  come  about,  and  rapid  development  is  expected  to  fol- 
low. 

Red  Chief—  This  group  includes  five  claims.  A tunnel  is  being 
driven  on  the  Ohio  vein  the  breast  of  which  is  now  400  feet  from  the 
portal. 

The  Oregon  Chief—  Owned  by  the  Oregon  Chief'Gold  Mining  Co. 
Seven  claims  which  have  had  about  1600  feet  of  development  work 
of  all  kinds  done  upon  them,  are  in  the  group.  Work  was  resumed 
at  this  property  in  November  after  an  idle  period  extending  back  into 
the  previous  year,  but  later  was  dropped  again. 

Overland — The  Overland,  adjoining  the  California,  is  said  to  have 
three  well  defined  veins  which  are  to  be  reached  by  an  adit  now  being 
driven. 

Oro  Fino — The  property  is  owned  by  John  Clark  and  Senator  J. 
L.  Rand,  who  have  demonstrated  the  existence  of  ore  of  shipping 
grade.  Surface  work,  a 60  foot  shaft,  and  400  feet  of  tunnels  consti- 
tute the  development  work.  Five  claims  are  in  the  group. 

Omaha  Group — Seven  claims,  supposed  to  be  upon  the  continu- 
ation of  the  California  ledge,  are  comprised  within  the  group. 
Development  v\&ork  has  started  again  of  late,  the  main  tunnel  being 
in  250  feet  at  last  report. 

Alpine — The  Alpine  group,  owned  by  the  Alpine  Consolidated 
Gold  Mining  Co.,  John  T.  Grayson,  manager,  is  located  five  miles 
northeast  of  the  California.  About  1000  feet  of  development  work 
has  been  done  upon  the  property.  Last  summer  a saw  mill  was 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


29 


installed  and  the  material  for  a 20-stamp  mill  assembled.  Building 
operations  had  not  progressed  far,  however,  when  they  were  stopped 
by  the  coming  of  winter.  The  mill  is  to  have  20  stamps  with  plates, 
six  Johnson  concentrators,  together  with  crushers  and  other  acces- 
sories. Steam  power  will  be  used,  which  will  also  operate  the 
compressor  plant. 

Valley  Queen — The  Valley  Queen  Gold  Mining  Co.  has  a property 
of  this  name  three  miles  north  of  the  California.  Thirty  feet  of  ver- 
tical shaft,  200  feet  of  tunnels,  and  75  feet  of  drifts  upon  veins  cut  by 
the  tunnel,  together  with  surface  workings,  constitute  the  develop- 
ment. Tom  C.  Gray,  of  Sumpter,  is  in  charge. 

The  Storm  King — This  property  is  owned  and  operated  by  the 
Forest  Mining  Co.,  Thomas  Costello,  manager.  Early  in  the  year  a 
shaft  was  sunk  upon  the  vein,  until  at  60  feet  sinking  was  stopped 
by  water.  A tunnel  was  then  started  to  tap  the  vein  farther  down. 
The  ore  is  said  to  be  good. 

Camp  Carson  District 

The  location  of  this  district  is  in  township  6,  range  36  east,  20 
miles  north  of  Sumpter,  at  the  western  foot  Elkhorn  Range,  and  at 
the  headwaters  of  the  Grande  Ronde  River.  According  to  Lindgren 
several  good  prospects  are  opened  up  carrying  copper,  lead,  zinc,  and 
gold.  Placers  are  worked  upon  the  Grande  Ronde,  Limber  Jim  Creek, 
and  at  Camp  Carson  itself.  At  the  latter  place  the  gravels  are  quite 
elevated,  and  so  cemented  that  they  are  difficult  to  work  by  ordinary 
hydraulic  processes.  In  a special  report  from  the  locality  few  details 
were  given,  but  it  is  stated  that  the  Carson  Hydraulic  Mines  Co. 
has  an  aggregate  of  26  miles  of  ditches  heading  in  the  Grande  Ronde 
River.  These  ditches  have  a capacity  of  7000  inches,  the  water  be- 
ing used  in  the  several  properties  of  this  company.  Twelve  miles  of 
ditch  carrying  1500  inches  of  water  from  Little  and  Big  Beaver 
creeks  supply  the  placers  upon  Horsepool  and  Beaver  creeks. 

Canyon  District 

The  mineral  areas  represented  by  this  district  are  contained 
within  townships  13  and  14  south,  ranges  31,  32,  33,  and  34  east, — 
all  in  the  basin  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  John  Day  River,  and  in 
Grant  County.  The  placers  of  the  district  were  famous  in  early  days 
and  are  still  productive,  though  no  detailed  information  has  been 
obtained  from  them  for  this  work.  Quartz  mining  will  probably 
receive  considerable  attention  with  the  advent  of  transportation 
facilities. 


30 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Prairie  Diggings — This  property  includes  three  quartz  claims.  It 
is  located  three  miles  east  of  Canyon,  and  is  owned  and  operated  by 
the  Jupiter  Minins:  Co.,  J.  W.  Messner,  manager.  Three  veins  are 
said  to  exist,  two  of  which  are  very  large.  A modern  mill  operating 
25  stamps,  six  Standard  concentrators,  and  a crusher,  was  installed 
in  1902  and  has  made  a number  of  runs.  Power  is  furnished  by 
three  water  wheels.  Within  the  last  few  months  a hoist  with  a sink- 
ing capacity  of  500  feet  has  been  erected  and  a double  compartment 
shaft  is  being  sunk  which,  according  to  a late  report,  was  down  110 
feet.  Other  workings  aggregate  1500  feet. 

Oregon  Wonder. — Late  in  1902  a Philadelphia  syndicate  was  in- 
corporated which  acquired  the  Oregon  Wonder  group  of  22  claims 
on  the  north  slope  of  Strawberry  Butte;  the  Will  Cleaver  group  of 
22  claims  seven  or  eight  miles  southeast  of  Canyon;  and  other  prop- 
erties in  the  locality  sufficient  to  make  an  aggregate  of  70  claims. 
Little  or  no  work  has  been  done  upon  these  properties,  but  there 
seems  to  be  good  evidence  that  enormous  low  grade  deposits  exist, 
which  may  be  worked  at  a profit.  The  promoters  are  at  present  di- 
recting their  energies  toward  the  construction  of  a railroad  into  the 
locality.  Major  J.  W.  Bonta  is  manager. 

Black  Butte. — Twenty-five  full  claims  are  included  in  this  prop- 
erty, nine  of  them  being  patented.  A large  lode,  said  to  be  100  feet 
wide  and  to  carry  a pay  streak  20  feet  wide,  has  been  opened  up  by 
surface  work,  and  some  500  feet  of  crosscuts,  drifts  and  a winze.  A 
hoist  capable  of  sinking  500  feet  is  being  installed.  The  ore  taken 
out  so  far  has  been  treated  in  a Merralls  roll  mill  and  a 5-stamp 
plant.  Two  acres  of  placer  ground  belongs  to  the  property.  E.  C. 
Allen,  of  Portland,  is  manager. 

Great  Northern — This  property  of  the  Great  Northern  Mining 
and  Milling  Co.  is  about  two  miles  southeast  of  Canyon.  Develop- 
ment consists  of  tunnels  and  crosscuts,  100  feet  of  inclined  shaft, 
and  an  open  cut  70x40x30  feet.  The  ore  is  free  milling,  and  is 
treated  in  a two-stamp  Tremain  steam  mill.  The  property  is  closed 
at  present.  J.  H.  Beasley  is  superintendent. 

Cornucopia  District 

The  mineral  areas  comprised  within  this  district  are  to  be  found 
for  the  most  part  in  township  6 south,  range  45  east,  in  the  Eagle 
Creek  range,  and  near  the  headwaters  of  Pine  Creek.  The  district  is 
36  miles  in  a direct  line  northeast  from  Baker  City,  although  it  is  55 
miles  by  road.  The  ores  of  the  district,  according  to  Lindgren,  are 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


31 


quartz  and  sulphides,  which  are  to  a great  extent  free  milling,  though 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that,  in  addition  to  ores  of  this  class,  impor- 
tant values  are  to  be  found  as  tellurides.  The  principal  mine  of  the 
district  is  that  of  the  Cornucopia  Mines  of  Oregon  Company  which 
is  discussed  below.  In  addition  to  this,  there  are  a number  of  other 
promising  properties  which  are  continuing  development. 

The  placer  deposits  of  the  district  are  unimportant. 

Cornucopia — There  are  said  to  be  29  claims  in  this  group,  which 
has  been  operated  for  several  years  by  John  E.  Searles  and  the  re- 
ceiver into  whose  hands  that  gentleman’s  affairs  were  placed  at  the 
time  of  Mr.  Searles  financial  difficulties.  The  principal  developments 
upon  the  property  have  been  done  upon  the  Union-Companion,  Red 
Jacket,  and  Last  Chance  claims,  and  are  estimated  to  be  over 
18,000  feet  in  extent.  Ore  of  splendid  quality  has  been  taken  out  of 
the  mine,  and  altogether  the  production  is  said  to  have  reached  ten 
million  dollars.  Operations  were  suspended  last  spring  at  the  time 
of  the  death  of  the  manager,  Mr.  F.  C.  Dobler,  who  was  killed  in  a 
snow  slide,  but  were  resumed  in  October  after  a reported  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  corporation  owning  it.  Considerable  activity  was  mani- 
fest until  in  December,  the  plan  of  the  management  seeming  to  be  to 
open  up  the  vein  system  at  depth  by  driving  a long  crosscut,  but  at 
that  time  the  work  was  unexpectedly  brought  to  a close  again.  No 
information  regarding  the  plans  of  the  corporation  for  the  future  is 
given  out.  The  mine  is  equipped  with  a 20-stamp  mill,  20  Frue  van- 
ners,  2 slime  tables,  cyanide  plant  for  tailings,  compressor  plant,  and 
light  plant. 

Sanger—  To  the  southwest  of  Cornucopia,  in  township  7,  range 
43,  is  a cluster  of  claims,  chief  among  which  is  the  Sanger.  But  little 
has  been  reported  from  the  property  this  year.  Early  in  the  year  a 
reorganization  of  the  company  is  said  to  have  been  effected,  the  title 
of  the  new  ownership  being  the  Sanger  Gold  Mines  Co.  Some  devel- 
opment work  has  been  done,  a small  hoist  has  been  installed,  and  the 
ten-stamp  mill  upon  the  property  has  been  renovated.  A large  elec- 
tric power  plant  on  Eagle  Creek  is  proposed  for  the  near  future,  and 
a tunnel  has  been  started  to  cut  the  veins  at  greater  depth. 

Sagamore — Among  many  other  properties  scattered  throughout 
the  territory  extending  westward  from  Cornucopia  to  the  Powder 
River  is  the  Sagamore,  located  35  miles  from  Baker  City,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  Cornucopia.  The  property,  which  is  under  the  manage- 
ment of  J.  M.  Gilkinson,  is  developed  by  500  feet  of  tunnel,  and  50 
feet  of  inclined  shaft.  The  equipment  comprises  a three-stamp  mill 
provided  with  a concentrating  table  and  settling  tanks.  Water*  is 
the  motive  power. 


32 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


Among  other  properties  of  the  entire  district  on  which  some 
work  has  been  done,  jet  which  have  not  been  very  active  of  late,  are 
the  Robert  Emmett,  with  a shaft  of  two  hundred  feet  and  drifts; 
Wild  Irishman,  with  open  cuts  and  adits;  Simmons,  which  has  two 
large  veins,  on  which  nearly  1000  feet  of  work  has  been  done;  and 
many  other  smaller  groups. 

Cracker  Creek  District 

The  territory  included  within  this  district  is  practically  that  de- 
fined by  the  drainage  basins  of  McCully’s  Fork,  Silver  Creek  and 
Cracker  Creek,  three  streams  that  join  a short  distance  above  Sump- 
ter to  form  Powder  River.  It  is  seven  miles  north  from  Sumpter  to 
the  great  center  of  mining  activity  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  North 
Pole  and  other  properties  located  upon  the  “ mother  lode.”  This  lode 
is  a remarkable  vein,  extending,  according  to  Lindgren,  for  five  miles 
south  and  west  from  the  North  Pole  mine,  strong  and  unbroken. 
The  most  important  properties  that  follow  the  North  Pole  upon  the 
vein  are,  in  order,  the  E.  and  E.,  Columbia  and  Golconda, — the  four 
covering  a distance  of  about  two  miles.  The  continuation  of  the  vein 
to  the  southwest  of  the  last  named  mine  has  not  proved  itself  nearly 
so  rich  as  the  northeastern  portion.  There  are  numerous  veins  par- 
allel to  the  main  lode,  and  splitting  off  from  it,  upon  which  the  other 
mines  of  the  district  are  located.  Included  within  the  western  part 
of  the  district  as  above  defined  is  the  area  frequently  spoken  of  as  the 
Ibex  district. 

The  ores  of  the  district  are  base,  and  are  typified  by  those  of  the 
North  Pole  mine,  a condensed  description  of  which  is  to  be  found 
below. 

In  addition  to  the  mines  described  in  the  sequel,  the  following 
have  been  reported  as  active  in  development  during  the  past  year: 

The  Basin;  Bunker  Hill;  Cracker-Eagle;  Cracker  Jack;  Esmerel- 
da;  Goldbug-Grizzly;  Homestake;  Justice;  Morning  Star;  Ole  Bull; 
Orleans;  Porcupine;  Sampson;  Tammany;  and  Tennessee. 

The  Mountain  Belle  is  reported  abandoned;  the  mine  and  twenty- 
stamp  mill  of  the  Bald  Mountain  have  been  idle;  the  Ibex,  said  to  be 
a rich  property,  was  not  operated  during  the  year.  The  Gold  Pan, 
located  four  miles  southwest  of  Sumpter,  upon  the  railroad,  has  re- 
ceived some  development  and  the  management  is  reported  to  have 
ordered  a ten-stamp  mill  and  steam  sinking  plant  for  spring  delivery. 
The  shaft  was  sunk  150  feet  by  means  of  a gasoline  hoist. 

Placer  mining  in  the  Cracker  Creek  district  is  relatively  unimpor- 
tant at  the  present  time.  The  gravels  in  the  streams  below  the  vein 
system  all  contain  gold,  and  have  been  worked  more  or  less  actively 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


33 


ever  since  1862.  The  more  important  placers  are  the  Downie,  Buck 
Gulch,  and  Ellis  properties. 

The  North  Pole — The  North  Pole,  located  upon  the  northeastern 
terminus  of  the  main  lode  of  the  district,  is  generally  accredited  with 
being  the  greatest  of  Oregon’s  mines.  It  is  owned  by  the  Eastern 
Oregon  Mining  Co.,  Emil  Melzer,  manager.  The  property  begins 
upon  the  lode  at  the  northeastern  end  of  the  Excelsior  claim  of  the 
E.  and  E.,  and  includes,  in  order,  the  North  Pole,  More  or  Less,  Vil- 
lard  and  other  fractions  and  parts  of  claims  sufficient  to  give  a total 
length  upon  the  lode  of  5447  feet. 

The  main  tunnel  on  the  property  is  a crosscut  of  1000  feet  which 
enters  the  ore  body  in  the  south  half  of  the  North  Pole  claim,  and 
from  which  a drift  is  extended  over  1700  feet.  Tunnel  No.  2 enters 
upon  the  vein  450  feet  vertically  above  No.  1 and  has  been  carried 
over  2000  feet  on  the  vein;  No.  3 is  270  feet  vertically  above  No.  2, 
while  No.  4 is  200  feet  above  No.  3.  Blind  drifts  have  been  run  be- 
tween tunnels  2 and  3,  and  3 and  4,  while  above  each  tunnel  is  a 
considerable  number  of  open  stopes.  The  upper  levels  have  proved 
an  ore  body  upon  the  More  or  Less  claim,  the  shoot  being  of  great 
magnitude  and  richness.  It  is  marked  upon  the  surface  by  a massive 
outcrop  of  almost  barren  quartz  200  feet  wide.  Recent  develop- 
ments are  said  to  be  in  the  lower  levels  with  the  purpose  of  proving 
the  existence  of  the  shoot  at  those  depths.  The  ore  below  100  feet  is 
base,  only  a small  percentage  of  the  values  being  susceptible  to  amal- 
gamation. An  aerial  tram  2500  feet  in  length  runs  from  tunnel  No.  4 
to  tunnel  No.  1,  and  another  tram  8000  feet  in  length  traverses  the 
distance  from  this  point  to  the  mill. 

The  mill  is  now  equipped  for  crushing,  concentrating  and  leaching, 
— the  cyanide  process  being  used  to  extract  the  values  from  the  tail- 
ings. Thirty  stamps  are  in  use,  together  with  six  Overstrom  and 
two  Wilfley  tables,  and  four  Johnson  and  twelve  Frue  vanners. 
From  the  vanners  the  pulp  is  pumped  to  cyanide  tanks.  There  are 
nine  of  these,  24x6^2  feet,  each  equipped  with  two  Butter’s  distrib- 
utors. The  slimes  are  decanted  to  six  agitation  tanks.  Ten  to  fif- 
teen days  is  necessary  for  each  charge.  The  total  capacity  of  the 
mill  is  120  tons  per  day.  Power  is  supplied  by  steam  and  two  48- 
inch  Pelton  wheels. 

E.  and  E. — Between  the  Columbia  and  North  Pole  properties 
upon  the  main  lode  are  located  the  Eureka  and  Excelsior  claims  and 
a fractional  claim  known  as  the  Taber  Fraction.  The  last  named 
property  adjoins  the  Columbia,  and  following  it  in  order  are  the 
Eureka  and  the  Excelsior  which  form  a group  commonly  known  as 
the  E.  and  E.  This  property  was  the  first  to  begin  operations  upon 


34 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


the  main  lode,  and  to  it,  in  addition,  belongs  the  credit  of  having 
established  the  milling  practice  of  the  district.  Complications 
arising  from  the  terms  of  a lease  given  several  years  ago  have  pre- 
vented the  operation  of  the  mine  since  1898,  but  during  the  past 
summer  this  matter  was  adjusted,  and  operations  have  been  resumed 
under  the  direction  of  the  Bourne  Gold  Mining  Co.,  the  original 
owners.  The  ore  bodies  are  opened  both  to  the  northeast  and  south- 
west by  tunnels  from  the  basin  of  the  creek  which  flows  across  the 
middle  of  the  property.  On  the  Excelsior  side  the  tunnels  have  pene- 
trated for  1000  feet;  upon  the  Eureka  side  about  600  feet.  In  the 
lowest  adit  upon  the  latter  a shaft  has  been  sunk  240  feet  from 
which  levels  have  been  driven  into  both  claims,  while  in  one  of  these 
levels  a winze  gives  access  to  a third  level.  Altogether,  8000  feet  of 
work  has  been  done.  The  ore  body  is  well  defined,  existing  in  three 
shoots  with  narrow  division  areas.  The  mill  is  equipped  with  20 
stamps  and  16  concentrators.  Both  steam  and  water  are  used  for 
power.  Since  work  was  resumed  last  July  operations  have  been  con- 
fined to  the  extraction  of  shipping  ore  from  the  adit  levels,  the  shaft 
levels  still  being  flooded.  These  are  to  be  drained  at  once,  however, 
and  the  mill  placed  into  first  class  condition. 

The  Taber  Fraction — A small  section  of  the  main  Cracker  Creek 
lode,  lying  between  the  Columbia  on  the  southwest,  and  the  Eureka 
of  the  E.  and  E.  on  the  northeast,  has  been  undergoing  development 
during  the  past  year.  The  fractional  claim,  known  as  the  Taber 
Fraction,  is  224  feet  long,  with  a vein  exposure  at  the  surface  of  75 
feet.  A stringer  of  rich  ore  six  inches  wide  at  the  surface  has  devel- 
oped a width  of  three  feet  at  100  feet  depth.  Numerous  shipments  of 
high  gi  ade  ore  have  been  reported  during  the  past  few  months, 
which  came  mainly  from  the  sump  as  sinking  was  in  progress, 
though  some  stoping  has  also  been  done.  A 25-horse-power  gaso- 
line hoist  is  the  equipment.  The  property  is  owned  by  the  Geiser- 
Hendryx  Investment  Co.,  of  Sumpter. 

Columbia — The  Columbia  Gold  Mining  Co.  owns  two  claims 
upon  that  part  of  the  main  lode  of  the  district  lying  between  the 
Golconda  and  the  E.  and  E.  Developments  are  almost  entirely  upon 
the  more  northeastern  claim, — the  Columbia, — the  Appomatox 
extending  to  the  south  and  adjoining  the  Golconda  being  touched  by 
the  extension  of  some  of  the  levels  from  the  Columbia  proper.  Upon 
the  latter  a shaft  having  levels  run  at  each  100  feet  has  reached  a 
depth  of  800  feet.  Over  8000  feet  of  workings  prove  the  ore  body, 
which  contains  rich  shoots  of  considerable  magnitude.  Steam  power 
is  used  to  operate  the  10-drill  compressor,  the  heavy  pumping  plant 
and  the  hoist.  A ditch  and  electrical  installation  just  being  com- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


35 


pleted  will  give  200  horse  power  additional.  The  mill  has  20  stamps 
and  six  Johnson  concentrators,  besides  a cyanide  plant  for  tail- 
ings. Mr.  F.  S.  Baillie,  who  has  developed  the  property  from  its 
prospect  stage,  is  manager. 

Golconda— The  Golconda  is  the  most  southwesterly  of  the  prop- 
erties located  upon  the  main  Cracker  Creek  lode.  It  is  owned  by  the 
Golconda  Consolidated  Gold  Mines  Co.,  and  comprises  two  claims, 
the  Golconda  and  the  Wild  West  upon  the  main  lode,  and  parallel 
claims.  The  mine  is  opened  upon  the  Golconda  by  a double  compart- 
ment shaft  500  feet  deep,  from  which  levels  run  at  depths  of  200,  300 
and  400  feet,  the  drive  from  the  500  foot  station  being  but  a very 
short  one.  At  the  collar  of  the  shaft  is  a tunnel  extending  1500  feet 
to  the  south  and  into  the  Wild  West  claim.  A hoist  with  1200  feet 
capacity,  two  large  pumps,  and  a six-drill  compressor,  are  features  of 
the  mining  equipment.  The  reduction  plant  has  a 20-stamp  mill 
with  16  Johnson  concentrators.  The  concentrates  have  heretofore 
been  shipped,  but  it  is  reported  that  a plant  for  treating  them  at  the 
mill  is  to  be  installed.  Motive  power  is  obtained  from  a battery  of 
three  boilers  and  a water  driven  dynamo  generating  120  horse 
power.  The  mine  and  mill  have  been  running  at  practically  full 
capacity  all  year.  James  A.  Howard  is  manager  and  superintendent. 

Cracker-Oregon—  Development  began  upon  this  property  in  the 
summer  of  1902  and  at  the  present  time  amounts  to  over  1500  feet. 
The  work-done  comprises  three  tunnels,  a 100-foot  shaft,  and  surface 
developments  A ten-stamp  mill  has  been  partly  completed,  a hoist 
with  sinking  capacity  of  500  feet  has  been  installed,  and  a four-drill 
compressor  is  in  use.  Both  steam  and  water  power  are  available. 
Three  claims  are  in  the  group,  which  is  owned  and  operated  by  the 
Oregon  Development  Co. 

Climax  Group — This  group  is  the  first  parallel  to  the  west  of  the 
Columbia  and  Golconda  claims.  It  comprises  the  Climax,  Orizaba 
and  other  claims,  besides  a fractional  claim  and  placer  ground.  It  is 
opened  by  1500  feet  of  workings.  Geo.  W.  Grayson,  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  P.  R.  Bishop,  of  Baker  City,  own  the  group. 

Columbia  Extension — The  old  Ohio  company  was  reorganized  at 
the  beginning  ot  the  year  as  the  Columbia  Extension  Gold  Mining 
Co.  Its  property  is  supposed  to  be  upon  an  extension  of  the  Climax 
vein.  A shaft  60  feet  deep  and  800  feet  of  other  workings  are  upon 
the  claim. 

Nine  Strike — Three  claims  parallel  to  the  North  Pole  are  com- 
prised within  this  group.  A well-defined  vein  of  considerable  width 


36 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


exists  which  has  been  developed  to  the  extent  of  500  feet.  It  was 
bought  late  in  1902  by  W.  T.  Young. 

Little  Cracker — Two  veins  parallel  to  the  main  lode  are  upon 
this  property.  A tunnel  which  is  being  run  to  tap  both  of  them  has 
passed  the  first  at  150  feet  from  the  portal,  and  may  reach  the 
second  at  500  feet.  Ed.  Butz,  Sr.,  is  manager  for  the  Little  Cracker 
Gold  Mining  Co.,  which  owns  the  claim. 

Mountain  View — A vein  parallel  to  the  North  Pole  is  said  to  be 
upon  this  property  of  the  Mountain  View  Mining  Co.,  of  which 
Judge  W.  M.  Cake,  of  Portland,  is  a principal  stockholder.  Two 
crosscuts,  one  300  feet  and  the  other  500  feet  long,  have  been  driven 
to  the  vein,  and  a shaft  is  now  being  sunk  from  the  lower  adit  drift. 
Developments  amount  to  1700  feet  in  all.  A 25-horse-power  gaso- 
line hoist  is  a part  of  the  mining  equipment.  W.  Techow,  superin- 
tendent. 

Mammoth— The  Mammoth  Gold  Mining  Co.  owns  two  claims, 
the  Mammoth  and  the  Belle  of  Baker,  both  lying  in  the  western  bor- 
der of  the  district.  A shaft  400  feet  deep,  and  a tunnel  with  cross- 
cuts and  drifts  open  the  vein.  A five-foot  Huntington  mill  and  a 
hoist  make  up  the  equipment.  Frank  Philbrick,  manager. 

Cracker  Summit — This  property,  consisting  of  11  claims  and 
fractions,  is  located  upon  what  is  supposed  to  be  a branch  of  the 
main  Cracker  Creek  lode  splitting  off  at  the  Columbia.  It  is  east  of 
the  lode  and  adjacent  to  the  E.  and  E.  and  North  Pole.  The  Killen, 
Warner,  Stewart  Co.,  of  Sumpter,  controls  the  property.  Two 
adits  with  drifts  amounting  in  all  to  1500  feet  of  work  disclose  the 
ore  body. 

Victor — The  Cracker  Consolidated  Mining  Co.,  of  which  A.  G. 
Hanauer,  of  Spokane,  is  fiscal  agent,  acquired  five  fractional  claims 
last  spring  which  were  previously  supposed  to  be  E.  and  E.  patented 
ground.  The  property  is  said  to  cover  some  branches  of  the  lode 
from  the  Columbia  and  the  Taber  fraction.  Development  is  in  pro- 
gress,— a six-drill  compressor  being  in  the  course  of  installation  at 
the  present  time  to  prosecute  this  work. 

Midway — Sixteen  claims  are  in  this  group,  which  is  owned  by 
the  Midway  Consolidated  Gold  Mining  Co.  Six  hundred  feet  of  sur- 
face tunnel  work  has  been  done,  and  a double  compartment  shaft  is 
now  down  about  200  feet.  A hoist  with  a sinking  capacity  of  1200 
feet,  and  a saw  mill  with  a capacity  of  10,000  feet  per  day,  make  up 
the  equipment. 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 

Gold  Hill  and  Weatherby  Districts 


37 


In  township  12  south,  ranges  43  and  44  east,  near  the  town  of 
Durkee  on  the  O.  R.  and  N.  railroad,  is  an  area  of  mineral  deposition 
which  includes  the  localities  commonly  known  as  the  Gold  Hill  and 
Weatherby  districts. 

Gold  Hill — This  group  is  four  miles  southeast  of  Durkee.  It  is 
well  developed,  and  is  equipped  with  a 10-stamp  mill,  ore  crusher, 
and  four  Johnson  concentrators. 

Gold  Ridge — Located  west  of  Burnt  River,  four  miles  south  of 
Durkee.  In  the  amount  of  its  development  and  in  equipment  it  is 
very  similar  to  the  Gold  Hill  property. 

The  Weatherby  district  extends  from  the  town  of  Weatherby 
northeast  for  six  miles  or  more.  Both  placer  and  quartz  mines  are 
found  upon  Sisley  Creek  and  its  tributary,  Chicken  Creek,  from  which 
no  reports  were  received.  In  the  bed  and  high  bars  of  Burnt  River 
placer  gold  also  occurs.  Upon  the  extreme  east  of  the  district  is  a 
cluster  of  mines  described  as  follows: 

Weatherby  Bonanza — Development  to  the  extent  of  1000  feet, 
five-stamp  mill,  and  a gasoline  hoist. 

Interstate — Workings  1100  feet  in  length  and  a two-stamp  mill 
driven  by  gasoline  power. 

Little  Hill—  Eight  hundred  feet  of  development,  two-stamp  mill, 
gasoline  power. 

Dana — Six  hundred  teet  of  development,  two-stamp  mill,  gaso- 
line power. 

The  Connor  Creek  Mine— Located  upon  Connor  Creek,  a tribu- 
tary of  Snake  River,  six  miles  east  of  Weatherby  district,  and  four- 
teen miles  down  the  Snake  River  from  Huntington.  The  mine  is 
another  of  the  famous  older  producers  of  this  part  of  the  state.  It 
is  owned  by  the  Connor  Creek  Mining  and  Milling  Co.,  but  at  pres- 
ent is  under  lease  to  Captain  J.  Mvrick,  formerly  superintendent  of 
the  property.  It  is  opened  by  a number  of  tunnels  on  the  vein  in  the 
upper  portions,  and  by  a crosscut  3000  feet  long  at  the  1200-foot 
level.  A 35-stamp  mill  driven  by  water  power  reduces  the  ore. 

Granite  District 

The  mines  of  this  district  are  to  be  found  for  the  larger  part  in 
township  8 south,  range  35V6  east, — and  within  a distance  of  seven 
or  eight  miles  north  and  east  of  the  town  of  Granite.  The  placer 


38 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


mines  of  the  district  have  been  worked  since  the  early  sixties,  and  one 
or  two  of  the  quartz  mines  since  the  seventies.  Besides  the  mines 
described  below,  active  operations  have  been  reported  from  the 
following: 

The  Scorpion;  Snow  Bird;  Tahoma;  Botha;  Climax;  Captain 
Martin,  Sheridan,  and  Last  Chance;  Buffalo;  and  Uncle  Sam. 

Among  the  important  placers  of  the  district  may  be  mentioned 
Thornburg’s  and  Klopp’s  placers  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  John 
Day;  Johnson’s  placers  on  Crane  Flat;  the  Black  Pine  placers  near 
the  Cougar  mine;  and  Griffith’s  placers  on  Canal  Creek.  Of  the 
above,  the  Crane  Flat  placers  are  said  to  be  of  exceptional  interest, 
and  may  be  the  scene  of  extensive  dredging  operations  in  the  near 
future. 

Monumental— This  mine,  the  oldest  in  the  district,  after  a period 
of  idleness  dating  back  to  1894,  is  again  being  worked,  this  time 
under  the  management  of  Mr.  C.  J.  Allen.  It  is  opened  by  two  cross- 
cuts, the  upper  being  900  feet  long  and  having  drifts  run  from  it 
upon  three  or  four  prominent  veins.  The  lower  crosscut  is  in  1600 
feet,  in  which  distance  it  has  cut  26  veins,  the  widest  being  five  feet. 
Drifts  have  been  extended  upon  three  of  the  strongest  leads.  The 
ores  are  rich  in  ruby  silver  and  argentite,  the  gold  values  increasing 
with  depth.  The  mill  upon  the  property  was  a model  in  its  time.  It 
has  20  stamps  for  dry  crushing,  two  settlers,  two  pans,  a Howell 
and  White  roaster,  and  a six-drill  compressor.  The  150-horse-power 
steam  plant  has  been  renovated  during  the  past  year. 

Cougar— This  mine  is  the  property  of  D.  L.  Evans  and  J.  W. 
Larkin,  of  Spokane.  It  is  four  miles  north  of  Granite.  Develop- 
ments consist  of  a tunnel  and  drifts  upon  the  large  vein  aggregating 
1400  feet,  a shaft  80  feet  deep,  and  three  or  four  short  tunnels.  A 
lower  crosscut  has  been  started  to  cut  all  of  the  veins  of  the  system. 
Development  has  disclosed  a large  amount  of  ore.  The  reduction 
plant  consists  of  a gyratory  crusher,  two  sets  of  rolls,  two  Brueck- 
ner  roasters,  and  a cyanide  plant  with  200  tons  per  day  capacity. 

The  La  Belleview — This  property  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  dis- 
trict, having  been  worked  intermittently  since  1877.  Two  parallel 
veins  are  opened  by  three  tunnels,  which,  with  other  development 
work,  give  a total  of  7000  feet.  In  recent  years  operations  have 
been  suspended  on  account  of  litigation,  but  work  was  resumed  in  a 
small  way  in  the  fall  of  the  past  year,  and  there  is  a probability  of 
its  being  continued  in  the  spring.  The  ore  minerals,  according  to 
Lindgren,  are  pyrite,  chalcopyrite,  galena,  pyrrhotite,  and  strongly 
argentiferous  zinc  blende,  together  with  native  wire  silver,  argentite, 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


39 


tetrahedrite,  stephanite,  and  freiburgite.  The  property  is  equipped 
with  a small  Huntington  mill.  Bamburger  and  Keith,  of  Salt  Lake, 
are  the  owners. 

Magnolia — The  Magnolia  is  another  of  the  older  mines  of  the 
Granite  district  which  has  been  idle  for  some  time,  but  which, 
through  a reputed  change  of  ownership,  is  expected  to  be  worked 
again  soon.  Development  has  been  done  in  three  tunnels,  aggregat- 
ing 1300  feet,  and  disclosing  a large  amount  of  low  grade  ore.  A 
ten-stamp  mill,  erected  in  1899,  is  upon  the  property. 

Independence — This  group  comprises  three  full  claims  and  three 
lode  fractions  located  between  the  Cougar  and  Magnolia  properties. 
Two  veins  have  been  defined  by  a large  amount  of  work, — 1000  feet 
having  been  done  the  past  year  upon  the  shaft  and  three  tunnels  of 
the  property.  George  F.  Berbridge  is  owner. 

Big  Four—k  crosscut  of  500  feet  has  opened  the  vein,  and  drifts 
were  extended  a short  distance  on  two  of  the  veins  proved.  Another 
crosscut  of  700  feet  is  projected,  at  greater  depth. 

Climax — A crosscut  for  the  main  vein,  following,  however,  a 
smaller  fissure,  has  been  driven  between  700  and  800  feet,  and  is  ex- 
pected to  reach  its  objective  point  soon.  The  property  also  has  much 
surface  work. 


Greenhorn  District 

This  district  lies  mainly  in  township  10  south,  ranges  34-  and  35 
east,  and  adjacent  to  the  Bonanza  district  which  bounds  it  upon  the 
east.  It  is  14  miles  from  the  center  of  the  district  to  Whitney.  The 
proposed  extension  of  the  Sumpter  Valley  railroad  will  pass  within 
six  miles  of  Greenhorn. 

The  mineral  deposits  of  the  district  occur  in  fissure  veins,  and  are 
characterized  by  high  silver  values.  A considerable  proportion  of  the 
ore  is  base,  carrying  blende,  pyrite,  arsenopyrite  and  tetrahedrite. 

A very  large  number  of  prospects  is  undergoing  development  in 
the  district,  many  of  which  are  of  considerable  promise.  Reports  of 
activity  have  been  received  from  the  following,  the  amount  of  work 
done  upon  each  varying  from  300  to  1000  feet: 

Aurora;  Big  Elk;  Big  Johnny;  Blackeye;  Chloride;  Dunn;  El- 
dorado; Gold  Coin;  Golden  Star;  Gordon;  Humboldt;  Intermountain; 
Intrinsic;  Lucy;  Man-o’-War;  Nashville;  New  York  Consolidated; 
Ornament  and  Surprise;  Potosi;  Red  Lion;  Salmon;  Smuggler;  West 
Side;  White  Carbonate;  and  Worley. 


40 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Ross  Gulch — This  property,  consisting  of  six  claims,  located  two 
miles  west  of  the  Bonanza,  is  opened  by  a shaft  167  feet  deep,  with 
drifts  at  100  feet  and  at  the  bottom.  In  addition  to  this  two  shal- 
low shafts  and  much  surface  work  are  upon  the  property.  The  pros- 
pect is  said  to  be  good. 

Forty-nine  Jimmy — This  property  is  as  yet  in  its  first  stages  of 
development,  but  is  of  interest  from  the  claim  made  for  it  that  a 
streak  of  sylvanite  is  found  in  the  vein  at  the  bottom  of  the  40-foot 
shaft. 

Banzette— A small  vein  of  good  ore  is  reported  from  this  property, 
owned  and  operated  by  Dave  Choate.  Developments  consist  of  a 
shaft  and  drifts  on  the  vein  amounting  to  500  feet,  and  a crosscut 
which  cuts  the  vein  1200  feet  from  the  portal.  A raise  is  being  made 
from  this  tunnel  to  the  surface, — a drive  of  about  300  feet. 

Black  Hawk — This  property  is  opened  by  several  hundred  feet  of 
workings.  A three-stamp  Tremain  mill  and  a concentrating  table 
reduce  the  ore  taken  out  in  the  course  of  development. 

Belcher — Owned  and  operated  by  the  Daines  Gold  Mining  and 
Milling  Co.  Two  groups,  one  upon  the  Belcher  vein,  and  the  other 
upon  the  Golden  Gate  vein,  are  under  development.  Upon  the  Belcher 
there  is  a crosscut  of  100  feet,  and  a drift  upon  the  vein  1800  feet 
long  in  the  course  of  which  four  ore  shoots  were  encountered.  A 
crosscut  upon  the  Golden  Gate  revealed  a wide  vein  upon  which  400 
feet  of  drifting  has  been  done.  A ten-stamp  mill  with  six  concentra- 
tors has  been  ordered.  Water  power  will  be  used. 

Psyche — Judge  J.  Fawcett,  of  Omaha,  has  the  controlling  interest 
in  this  mine,  which  is  opened  by  a shaft  130  feet  deep,  a crosscut  300 
feet  in  length,  together  with  drifts  of  a few  hundred  feet  and  a raise 
to  the  shaft  level.  A 20-stamp  mill  was  completed  which  has  run 
intermittently,  part  of  the  time  doing  custom  work.  Eight  Frue 
vanners  and  a 120-horse-power  steam  plant  are  included  in  the  mill 
equipment. 

Snow  Creek — A 10-stamp  mill  operated  by  an  eighty- horse- 
power steam  plant  has  just  been  completed  at  this  mine  and  is  now 
crushing  the  ore  dumped  during  the  development  to  date.  A shaft 
190  feet  deep  with  200  feet  of  drifts  disclose  a fair  sized  vein  and  an 
ore  shoot  300  feet  long.  Mr.  Fred  D.  Smith  is  manager. 

Don  Juan — This  mine  was  bonded  in  August  to  Eastern  people, 
and  immediately  afterward  was  pumped  out  and  further  development 
started.  A shaft  187  feet  deep  with  short  drifts  on  two  levels,  and  a 
tunnel  800  feet  long  driven  from  the  level  of  the  shaft  collar  consti- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


41 


tute  the  development  work.  A 10-stamp  mill  and  a small  hoist  are 
features  of  the  equipment.  Late  advices  are  to  the  effect  that  work 
was  again  suspended  and  the  pumps  pulled. 

Phoenix — Two  well  defined  veins  are  opened  in  this  mine  by  a 
tunnel  900  feet  long  on  the  vein  and  connections  with  upper  work- 
ings. A five-stamp  mill  and  a five-foot  Bryan  mill  constitute  the 
reduction  plant.  Operations  have  been  vigorously  prosecuted  during 
the  year,  although  in  December  water  litigation  prevented  the  run- 
ning of  the  mill.  Charles  Parker  is  in  charge. 

Virginia — The  North  Pacific  Mining  Co.,  of  Seattle,  is  the  owner 
of  this  property.  The  mine  is  opened  by  a shaft  210  feet  deep,  from 
which  drifts  have  been  run  on  the  60-  and  1 20-foot  levels  for  a dis- 
tance of  150  feet.  A large  mill  building  was  erected  during  the  past 
year  and  a Parker  Rotary  mill  set  up.  This  mill,  however,  did  not 
prove  satisfactory  for  the  kind  of  ore  to  be  treated,  and  is  being 
replaced  by  10  gravity  stamps. 

Tempest — 1000  feet  of  development  work  is  stated  to  be  the 
amount  done  upon  this  property,  which  is  owned  by  the  Tempest 
Mining  and  Smelting  Co.,  of  Spokane.  A wide  vein  is  reported, 
having  good  ore  on  both  walls.  C.  R.  Aldrin  is  manager. 

I.  X.  L. — Two  shafts  are  upon  this  property, — that  upon  the  1. 
X.  L.  vein  being  down  200  feet  with  drifts  on  both  levels, — while 
upon  the  Hidden  Treasure  the  shaft  is  100  feet  deep,  with  100  feet  of 
drifts  from  the  bottom.  Three  well  defined  veins  are  disclosed  in 
which  promising  ore  shoots  are  contained.  A hoist  with  500  feet 
capacity  is  a part  of  the  mining  equipment.  The  reduction  plant 
consists  of  a three-stamp  Tremain  mill  and  a 30-ton  cyanide  plan*. 
F.  G.  Kelly  is  in  charge. 

Morning—  The  Morning  is  owned  by  Messrs.  Simmons,  Ames, 
Cooper  and  Chisholm.  The  main  adit  is  a crosscut  100  feet  long 
which  reaches  the  wide  ore  body  50  feet  below  the  surface.  Drifts 
have  been  run  on  the  three  veins  proved.  A deeper  crosscut  on  the 
mill  level  has  been  driven  500  feet  and  is  now  near  the  first  big  vein 
where  a depth  of  200  feet  below  the  upper  workings  will  be  given. 
A five-foot  Bryan  mill  and  two  Wilfley  tables  are  in  operation,  and 
ten  stamps  at  the  Psyche  mill  were  in  use  for  a time  crushing  ore 
from  the  Morning. 

Dixie  Group — This  group  is  on  Granite  Boulder  Creek,  south  of 
the  district  proper.  It  seems  to  be  a large  low  grade  proposition 
developed  by  some  300  feet  of  tunnels  and  surface  cuts.  A Kinkead 
mill  and  concentrator  capable  of  treating  15  to  20  tons  per  day  was 
installed  during  the  year.  Messrs.  Ray  and  O’Neil  are  the  owners. 


42 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Listen  Lake — This  is  a copper  proposition  located  upon  McNamee 
Creek.  Developments  have  been  under  way  all  year.  An  air  blast 
has  been  installed,  and  grading  for  a hoist  has  been  done.  The  main 
shaft  is  60  foet  in  depth.  J.  W.  Wilson  is  manager. 

Royal  White — Adjoins  the  Belcher  property.  It  is  developed  by 
some  six  hundred  feet  of  workings,  and  is  equipped  with  a smah 
three-stamp  mill.  It  was  bought  during  the  year  by  J.  P.  McGuigan 
and  associates. 

Worley— This  mine  has  a shaft  160  feet  deep  from  which  short 
drifts  have  been  run.  The  property  was  recently  taken  over  by  a 
a stock  company,  and  further  development  is  in  progress. 

Aurora — A shaft  house  and  other  buildings  have  been  completed 
preparatory  to  the  commencement  of  sinking  operations.  The  prop- 
erty was  bought  last  year  by  W.  H.  Mead,  of  Spokane.  Lightly 
developed. 

Humboldt — This  mine  is  the  property  of  the  Fortune  Mining  and 
Smelting  Co.,  G.  W.  Daines,  manager.  A large  hoist  building  was 
erected  in  the  course  of  the  year,  and  a small  gasoline  hoist  installed 
to  aid  in  sinkingfurtherin  the  70-foot  shaft  of  the  property.  Threat- 
ened litigation  has  barred  operations,  however.  Four  small  veins 
are  indicated  by  surface  workings. 

Red  Lion — This  is  a group  of  four  claims,  purchased  late  in  1903 
by  the  Fortune  Mining  and  Smelting  Co.  It  is  opened  by  300  to  400 
feet  of  surface  work,  and  a crosscut  of  150  feet,  from  which  a drift 
has  been  started  on  the  footwall  of  the  vein. 

Lucy — This  property  has  been  taken  up  by  a stock  company, 
buildings  have  been  erected,  and  crosscut  of  150  feet  driven  to  open 
the  main  vein.  Work  in  charge  of  S.  R.  Stott. 

Intrinsic — An  old  silver  mine, — the  first  worked  in  the  entire  dis- 
trict. More  than  two  thousand  feet  of  work  has  been  done  upon  it. 
The  late  Jack  Powers,  of  Portland,  was  associated  in  its  ownership 
with  other  Portland  people. 

Imnaha  District 

A copper-gold  district  eight  miles  long  by  four  wide  is  located  at 
the  confluence  of  the  Imnaha  and  Snake  rivers  in  Wallowa  county. 
The  mineral  area  is  approximately  in  township  3 north,  range  49 
east.  River  transportion  down  the  Snake  is  said  to  be  possible, — a 
fact  which  will  have  much  to  do  with  the  future  of  the  district.  No 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


43 


detailed  information  has  been  obtainable  from  the  locality,  but 
reports  of  activity  have  been  frequent. 

The  Eureka  Smelting  Co.  has  had  a force  of  men  at  work  devel- 
oping its  property,  and  is  at  the  same  time  building  a roasting  and 
leaching  plant.  This  plant  is  also  to  treat  the  ore  from  the  Fargo 
Mining  Co.’s  mine. 

A placer  mine  is  reported  upon  Dry  Creek  for  which  a ditch  two 
miles  in  length  carries  1000  miner’s  inches  of  water  from  the  Imnaha 
for  six  months  of  the  year.  The  gravels  are  said  to  carry  30  cents  in 
gold  per  yard. 

The  Iron  Dike  District 

This  district  is  for  the  greater  part  contained  in  township  6 
south,  range  48  east.  It  lies  along  the  western  bank  of  Snake  River 
and  extends  practically  from  the  mouth  of  Pine  Creek  to  the  Wal- 
lowa County  line, — a distance  of  twelve  miles.  The  ores  of  the  dis- 
trict are  of  value  for  their  copper  content,  the  values  in  gold  and  sil- 
ver being  low.  Prospecting  is  said  to  be  active  in  the  district,  but 
substantial  progress  can  scarcely  be  hoped  for  until  a railroad  is  con- 
structed. The  nearest  point  upon  the  railroad  at  the  present  time  is 
at  Nagles,  near  Huntington,  a distance  of  50  miles.  River  naviga- 
tion from  Lewiston  is  impossible, — but  for  three  months  in  the  year 
navigation  between  the  district  and  Huntington  is  a bare  possibility. 

The  Iron  Dike  property  described  below  is  the  principal  one  in 
the  district.  Another,  known  as  Joe  the  Greek,  owned  by  W.  B. 
McDougal,  has  also  received  considerable  development.  Lindgren 
mentions  a number  of  prospects  from  which,  however,  no  data  have 
been  received  for  this  work. 

Iron  Dike — The  location  of  this  property  is  upon  Snake  River 
just  south  of  Homestead.  It  has  been  under  development  since  1897, 
with  Frank  E.  Pearce  in  charge.  The  owning  corporation  is  the 
Northwestern  Copper  Co.  The  ore  deposit,  which  consists  of  pyrite 
and  chalcopyrite  carrying  small  values  in  gold  and  silver,  is  of  great 
size, — a vein  width  of  from  70  to  300  feet  having  been  demonstrated. 
Three  crosscut  tunnels  give  access  to  it.  The  Ladd  Metals  Co.,  under 
contract  with  the  owners  of  the  property,  is  building  a 100-ton 
smelting  furnace  and  a small  sampling  plant  at  the  mine. 

Malheur  District 

The  mines  of  this  district  are  to  be  found  in  the  extreme  northern 
part  of  Malheur  County  in  township  13  south,  ranges  40  and  41 


44 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


east.  It  was  famous  in  early  days  for  its  placer  gold,  and  still  yields 
a comparatively  small  amount  of  this  material.  Few  of  its  quartz 
properties  have  outgrown  the  prospect  stage.  Among  those  which 
have  been  reported  active  during  the  past  year  are  the  following: 

Bartolf;  California;  Fidelity;  Humboldt;  Kidd  and  Tedrowe; 
Morning  Star;  Rainbow;  St.  Joe;  and  Uncle  Sam. 

The  Rich  Creek  placers  are  operated  by  the  Eldorado  Ditch  Co., 
a hydraulic  elevator  being  used  to  enable  the  gravels  to  be  worked  at 
a greater  depth  than  formerly.  Water  for  this  mine  is  taken  from 
the  famous  Eldorado  ditch,  completed  in  1874,  which  carries  its  sup- 
ply for  over  a hundred  miles  from  the  headwaters  of  Burnt  River. 
Four  hundred  miners  inches  for  eight  months  is  the  present  capacity 
of  the  ditch. 

Black  Eagle— This  property  is  located  just  north  of  Malheur 
City  upon  a great  porphyry  dike  300  to  1000  feet  wide  carrying 
values  said  to  be  one  to  four  dollars  per  ton.  The  ledge  is  opened  by 
a tunnel  300  feet  long  having  two  upraises  to  the  surface.  The  ore  is 
quarried  at  the  surface  and  passed  down  the  upraises,  going  over 
grizzlies  in  the  course  of  its  descent.  But  one  man  is  required  to 
mine  sufficient  ore  for  the  mill, — the  cost  of  mining  and  delivering  be- 
ing 20  cents  per  ton.  The  ore  is  free  milling  to  a depth  of  80  feet, 
below  which  it  carries  its  values  in  sulphides.  The  mill  has  an  11x17 
Blake  crusher,  and  twenty  850-pound  stamps  which  drop  110  times 
per  minute.  Twenty-mesh  burred  screens  are  used.  Amalgamation 
is  entirely  outside,  the  plate  area  being  64  square  feet  for  each  five 
stamps.  The  milling  record  is  six  tons  per  stamp  in  24  hours.  Steam 
power  is  used  with  wood  at  five  dollars  per  cord.  The  cost  of  mill- 
ing is  49  cents  per  ton.  Concentrators  and  cyanide  tanks  will  be 
installed  in  the  near  future.  J.  F.  Meikle  is  manager. 

Red,  White  and  Blue — This  property  adjoins  the  Black  Eagle 
group  and  is  located  in  part  upon  an  extension  of  the  big  porphyry 
dike  of  the  latter.  This  extension  is  opened  by  a tunnel,  but  the 
principal  workings,  consisting  of  a 160-foot  shaft  with  drifts  upon 
two  levels,  are  located  upon  a different  lead.  The  mill  upon  the 
property  now  consists  of  a battery  of  ten  Merralls  rapid  drop 
stamps, — six  of  these  having  been  installed  recently. 

Tarbell—  A Boston  company  purchased  this  property  in  August 
and  has  been  pushing  development  since.  A ledge  15  to  25  feet  wide 
is  developed  by  2000  feet  of  workings. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


45 


Minersville  District 

Extending  for  20  miles  between  Sumpter  and  Baker  City  is  the 
territory  to  be  discussed  under  the  above  heading.  It  includes  the 
Deer  Creek,  Minersville,  Stice  Gulch  and  Auburn  districts  proper. 
According  to  Lindgren  the  country  is  characterized  by  an  absence  of 
strong  vein  formations,  there  seeming  to  be  only  numerous  veinlets 
and  seams  carrying  gold, — these  apparently  being  the  source  of  the 
placer  gold  which  was  so  abundant  in  former  years.  Nevertheless 
prospecting  for  ledges  continues,  and  significant  ore  bodies  have  been 
reported  from  some  of  the  properties.  The  following  have  been  more 
or  less  active  during  the  past  year:  Golden  Wizard,  Flora  M.,  Yankee 
Girl,  Bear  Gulch,  Wisconsin,  Mac’s  Luck,  and  Old  Abe. 

The  placer  interests  of  this  territory  were  in  early  years  of  great 
importance,  but  have  declined  until  at  the  present  time  they  are  in- 
considerable. A revival  of  interest  in  this  form  of  mining  seems  to 
be  in  evidence,  however,  and  it  is  possible  that  by  new  methods  some- 
thing may  be  accomplished. 

Wisconsin — A shaft  has  been  sunk  upon  this  property  to  a depth 
of  200  feet  and  a slight  amount  of  drifting  has  been  done.  The  main 
vein  is  explored  by  an  adit  400  feet  long,  while  a short  crosscut  gives 
access  to  a parallel  vein. 

Golden  Wizard — Developments  upon  this  property  consist  of  a 
shaft  160  feet  deep  from  which  a small  amount  of  drifting  has  been 
done,  and  a tunnel  600  feet  long  upon  the  main  vein.  Work  is  in 
progress  upon  a mill  which  is  to  have  12  rapid  drop  stamps. 

American  Development  Co. — This  company  has  within  the  past 
two  years  purchased  most  of  the  old  Auburn  placer  grounds,  and 
last  season  completed  a tail  race  which  will  enable  the  operators  to 
work  at  greater  depth  than  was  formerly  possible.  Five  hundred 
inches  of  water  were  also  added  to  large  rights  already  existing.  L. 
Q.  Jaquish,  manager. 

Auburn  Deep  Mining  Co. — A shaft  is  being  sunk  in  Blue  Canyon 
through  “ Webfoot”  bedrock  in  the  hope  of  disclosing  pay  gravels  at 
depth.  The  shaft  is  now  down  110  feet  without  having  reached  per- 
manent formations. 

Stice  Gulch  Placers — Two  reservoirs  were  completed  at  this  prop- 
erty during  the  past  year,  several  hundred  feet  of  tail  race  was  fin- 
ished, and  prospect  tunnels  were  driven  into  the  gravels  in  search  of 
a rich  channel  supposed  to  exist  there.  The  gravels  are  20  to  30  feet 
in  thickness.  Two  or  three  giants  are  in  operation. 


46 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Mt,  Rastus  District 

A mild  stampede  of  prospectors  occurred  during  the  fall  into  what 
is  known  as  the  Mount  Rastus  district,  55  miles  southwest  of  Baker 
City.  The  reputed  discovery  of  rich  sylvanite  deposits  in  phonolite 
has  not  been  substantiated  up  to  the  present  time. 

North  Powder  District 

A small  group  of  prospects  is  to  be  found  in  the  vicinity  of  North 
Powder, — a station  upon  the  railroad  25  miles  or  so  north  of  Baker 
City.  The  ores  carry  copper  and  gold.  Of  the  properties  in  the  dis- 
trict the  Buckeye  is  the  most  extensively  developed,  having  a shaft 
down  160  feet  with  drifts  upon  two  levels. 

Quartzburg  District 

A few  miles  north  of  Prairie  City,  Dixie  Creek  divides  into  two 
branches  which  are  separated  by  Cougar  Ridge,  and  upon  each 
branch  mines  are  to  be  found.  The  district  so  formed  lies  within 
townships  11  and  12  south,  range  33  east.  The  mines  of  the  west 
fork  are  mainly  auriferous;  those  of  the  east  fork  carry  copper,  and 
in  a notable  case,  cobalt  and  nickel.  Placer  interests  in  the  district 
are  unimportant  at  the  present  time. 

.In  addition  to  the  mines  described  in  detail,  the  following  lesser 
properties  have  been  actively  engaged  in  development  work  during 
the  year: 

Bangs;  Byson;  Dixie  Meadows  Extension;  Duro;  Fitzsimmons; 
Gallagher;  Gifford;  Hughes  and  Short;  Mercur;  Paul  Kruger;  Smith; 
Trowbridge;  and  Yankee  Boy. 

Colorado. — Late  in  1902  the  Equity  Mining  Co.  purchased  the 
Isham  Laurance  interests,  consisting  of  a five-stamp  mill  and  several 
claims.  The  property  has  undergone  thorough  renovation  and  a 
concentrating  table  has  been  added.  Development  consists  of  a tun- 
nel 600  feet  long,  another  500  feet  long,  and  a third  just  started. 

Copperopolis. — This  mine  is  located  upon  the  West  Fork  of  Dixie 
Creek  and  near  the  north  end  of  Cougar  Ridge.  The  Copperopolis 
Copper  Co.,  composed  largely  of  Portland  people,  is  owner.  Two 
hundred  acres  of  mineral  and  timber  ground  constitute  the  holdings. 
The  ore  body  forms  two  massive  croppings,  and  has  been  opened  by 
a crosscut  800  feet  long.  Values  are  in  copper,  gold  and  silver.  A 
two-drill  compressor  is  driven  by  steam.  Water  power  sufficient  for 
operating  a lighting  plant  is  also  used.  W.  W.  Gibbs  is  manager. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


47 


Dixie  Meadows — Located  at  the  base  of  Dixie  Butte,  12  miles 
north  of  Prairie  City,  and  in  the  northern  edge  of  the  Quartzburg 
district.  The  vein,  which  varies  from  10  to  55  feet  in  width,  is 
reached  by  two  crosscuts, — the  upper  150  feet  and  the  lower  300 
feet  in  length.  Several  hundred  feet  of  drifting  has  been  done.  A 
concentrating  plant  has  just  been  installed,  consisting  of  a No.  2 
Austin  gyratory  crusher,  two  sets  of  6x36  Sturtevant  centrifugal 
rolls,  four  Standard  concentrating  tables,  and  a 120-horse-power 
steam  plant.  Values  are  in  gold.  The  mine  is  the  property  of  Prai- 
rie City  people,  incorporated  under  the  title  of  The  Dixie  Meadows 
Mining  and  Milling  Company. 

Keystone — An  old  mine  that  has  recently  been  taken  in  hand 
again  for  exploitation.  The  amount  of  workings  accredited  to  it  is 
1500  feet.  During  the  year  just  closed  new  buildings  have  been 
erected,  new  steel  laid,  and  old  tunnels  retimbered.  Development 
is  in  progress. 

Present  Need— This  is  another  old  property  with  considerable 
production  to  its  credit  even  in  the  face  of  imperfect  methods  of  ex- 
traction. The  upper  workings  consist  of  a crosscut  and  300  feet  of 
drifts.  A lower  crosscut  reaches  the  vein  700  feet  from  the  portal, 
and  drifting  is  now  in  progress  from  it.  A modern  arrastra,  driven 
by  steam,  reduces  the  ore.  F.  P.  Morey  is  principal  owner. 

Standard  Consolidated — Early  in  the  year  a combination  of 
interests  was  effected  by  which  the  Standard,  Copper  Ridge,  and 
Willie  Boy  groups  were  consolidated  and  acquired  by  the  Standard 
Consolidated  Mines  Co.,  Dr.  E.  W.  Mueller,  of  Sumpter,  manager. 
Two  vein  systems  exist  upon  the  property,  the  Standard  system 
being  said  to  consist  of  five  veins  supposed  to  converge  directly  under 
a prominent  cropping.  It  is  opened  by  a 500-foot  crosscut,  a 100- 
foot  shaft,  several  raises,  and  some  drifting.  The  ore  carries  gold, 
copper,  cobalt,  and  nickel.  The  cobalt  content  is  of  especial  interest 
on  account  of  the  rare  occurrence  of  that  metal  in  this  country.  Sev- 
eral tons  have  been  concentrated  and  placed  upon  the  German  mar- 
ket. The  cross  system  of  veins  is  opened  by  two  crosscuts  100  feet 
and  450  feet  long  respectively,  a shaft  60  feet  deep,  a tunnel  100  feet 
long,  together  with  drifts  and  numerous  surface  cuts.  It  runs  nearly 
at  right  angles  to  the  Standard  system,  and  carries  gold  values.  A 
40-ton  matte  smelter  is  upon  the  property,  but  has  not  been  success- 
fully operated. 


48 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Red  Boy  District 

The  location  of  this  district  is  southwest  of  the  Granite  district, 
of  which  it  is  really  a continuation.  The  great  mine  of  the  district 
is  the  Red  Boy.  Ores  in  the  district  are  for  the  greater  part  free 
milling,  the  percentage  of  sulphides  being  small  and  carrying  low 
values.  Properties  not  described  in  detail  below,  and  which  have 
been  reported  active  in  development  are  the  following: 

Black  Jack;  Buckhorn;  Chelan;  Comstock;  Excelsior;  Standard; 
and  Yellow  Daisy. 

Red  Boy — This  mine  is  the  central  one  of  the  district.  Its  career 
has  been  most  interesting, — three  different  mills  having  been  tried  in 
the  attempt  to  obtain  values  from  its  ores  before  the  present  plant 
was  erected  in  1898.  Since  that  time  the  production  of  gold  was  un- 
interrupted until  in  last  October,  when  financial  difficulties  brought 
on  bv  a variety  of  circumstances  culminated  in  the  appointment  of  a 
receiver  for  the  property.  Late  developments  in  the  mine  had  encoun- 
tered much  water,  necessitating  the  operation  of  heavy  pumps. 
These  were  kept  going  for  a while  after  the  close-down,  but  later 
were  ordered  stopped,  so  that  everything  is  now  at  a standstill 
pending  the  outcome  of  a very  complicated  condition  of  affairs.  The 
mine  is  credited  with  having  produced  more  than  $800,000  in  gold 
from  two  of  its  six  veins. 

The  vein  system  of  this  property  is  cut  by  a large  porphyry  dike. 
Upon  the  north  of  this  dike  are  the  Monarch,  Red  Boy,  Blaine,  and 
Concord  veins,  and  upon  the  south  of  it  the  Congo  and  Helena  veins. 
A crosscut  1200  feet  long  cuts  the  Monarch  and  Red  Boy  veins  at 
400  feet  depth,  where  much  stoping  has  been  done, — the  ore  shoots 
at  this  point  having  supplied  the  funds  for  the  equipment  put  in 
later.  The  other  veins  of  the  property  have  been  opened  by  a maze 
of  workings.  At  the  last  the  energies  of  the  management  were 
directed  toward  the  opening  of  the  ore  shoots  at  a greater  depth  by 
means  of  a three  compartment  shaft  sunk  near  the  intersection  of  the 
Monarch  and  Red  Boy  veins  with  the  main  porphyry  dike  mentioned 
above.  Much  water  was  encountered  in  the  progress  of  this  work. 

The  mine  equipment  consists  of  a magnificent  hoist  capable  of 
sinking  to  2500  feet,  three  160-horse-power  boilers,  a Corliss  engine, 
a 16-drill  compressor,  and  heavy  pumps.  The  20-stamp  mill  is  sup- 
plemented by  14  concentrators,  a roasting  furnace,  and  three  60-ton 
cyanide  tanks.  The  mill  was  operated  by  water  power  obtained 
from  Clear  Creek. 

May  Queen — The  May  Queen,  with  four  claims,  covers  the  north- 
ern extension  of  the  Red  Boy.  The  veins  are  opened  by  800  feet  of 


Parker,  Photographer,  Baker  City. 
NORTH  POLE  MILL,  CRACKER  CREEK  DISTRICT. 

E ANI)  E.  MILL,  CRACKER  CREEK  DISTRICT. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


49 


tunnels  and  crosscuts.  A small  hoist  was  installed  during  the  year 
with  which  a shaft  was  sunk  150  feet  upon  the  principal  vein.  A 
ten-stamp  mill  is  upon  the  property.  John  Thornsen  is  manager. 

Oregon  Monarch — This  mine  is  also  reputed  to  be  upon  an  exten- 
sion of  one  of  the  Red  Boy  veins.  It  is  opened  by  a crosscut  1300 
feet  long  from  which  drifts  have  been  run  upon  several  of  the  veins 
encountered.  Air  for  the  power  drill  used  in  this  work  was  supplied 
by  the  Red  Boy  compressor. 

Blue  Bird — Located  across  the  gulch  from  the  Red  Boy.  Devel- 
oped by  a crosscut  500  feet  long  and  drifts  aggregating  400  feet. 
Three  veins  were  cut  in  the  crosscut.  A mill  is  nearing  completion 
consisting  of  a No.  2 gyratory  crusher,  a 12x16  Sturtevant  roll- 
jaw  crusher,  two  sets  of  36x6  Sturtevant  centrifugal  rolls,  and  four 
Standard  concentrators.  A six-drill  compressor  is  also  a part  of  the 
equipment.  0.  C.  Wright  is  president  of  the  Blue  Bird  company,  and 
E.  J.  Thorpe  is  manager. 

Grand  Union — This  claim  is  supposed  to  be  upon  an  extension  of 
the  Concord  vein  of  the  Red  Boy  system.  A crosscut  driven  to  tap 
this  vein  is  now  in  about  800  feet.  Two  or  three  other  veins  have 
been  encountered  in  the  course  of  this  work. 

The  Rock  Creek  District 

Comprised  within  this  district  for  the  purposes  of  the  present 
work  are  the  Rock  Creek  district  proper,  lying  north  of  the  Elkhorn 
range  in  township  8 south,  ranges  37  and  38  east;  the  Baisley-Elk- 
horn  district,  lying  east  of  the  Elkhorn  mountains  in  range  38;  and 
the  Pocahontas  district,  situated  in  the  northern  half  of  township  9, 
range  39.  This  territory  is  northwest  of  Baker  City,  the  nearest 
portions  being  about  ten  miles  from  that  place  and  extending  in  a 
general  northwest  direction  for  a dozen  or  fifteen  miles  more. 

The  Baisley-Elkhorn — This  property  is  one  of  the  older  producing 
properties  of  Eastern  Oregon.  It  is  located  on  Elkhorn  Gulch,  high 
up  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the*  Elkhorn  Range.  Late  in  1902  it  was 
purchased  by  the  Beaver  company,  and  consolidated  with  the  Rob- 
bins-Elkhorn  and  Beaver  properties,  the  combination  giving  some 
70  or  80  claims  in  a body.  The  present  equipment  consists  of  two 
Bryan  mills  with  plates;  six  percussion  tables;  four  vanners;  and  a 
canvas  plant.  During  the  past  year  operations  have  been  resumed 
in  the  old  workings,  which,  after  having  been  drained  and  put  into 
shape  after  a long  period  of  idleness,  are  again  suppling  ore  to  the 
mill.  Preliminary  to  operations  upon  a much  larger  scale  the  man- 


50 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


agement  is  installing  a power  plant  upon  Pine  Creek,  a mile  below 
the  mill,  and  a sixteen-drill  compressor  to  be  used  in  driving  a cross- 
cut over  a mile  long  to  tap  the  main  vein  at  1200  feet  depth.  Mr.  F. 
P.  Hayes  is  manager. 

South  Pole — The  South  Pole  Consolidated  Mines  Co.  is  a stock 
company  owning  a group  of  nine  claims  on  the  Rock  Creek  side  of 
the  Elkhorn  divide.  Development  was  active  during  a part  of  last 
year,  but  had  come  to  a standstill  by  December.  A large  vein  is  said 
to  have  been  opened  by  four  tunnels  having  an  aggregate  length  of 
2000  feet. 

Big  Horn — This  is  a group  of  four  claims  extending  over  the 
divide  between  Rock  Creek  and  Cracker  Creek,  and  bonded  bv  the 
Killen,  Warner  Stewart  Co.  A five-foot  vein  of  good  milling  ore  is 
said  to  have  been  opened. 

Chloride — The  Chloride  group  of  six  or  seven  claims,  located  on 
Rock  Creek,  has  been  developed  by  several  thousand  feet  of  t unnels 
and  drifts  upon  the  vein.  The  ore  carries  galena  as  well  as  tetrahed- 
rite,  and  is  in  a well  defined  vein.  A concentrating  plant  is  a possi- 
bility of  the  near  future. 

The  Octo  ( Pocahontas ) — Three  thousand  feet  of  development 
work  is  reported  from  this  property.  A ten-stamp  mill  with  concen- 
trating tables  and  steam  power  was  erected  during  the  year,  but  has 
not  been  in  continuous  operation.  A.  B.  Patterson  is  in  charge. 

The  Kelly  Group — The  vein  upon  this  property  is  parallel  to  the 
Cracker  vein  upon  the  southern  side  of  the  divide  in  Cracker  Creek 
district.  It  is  opened  by  six  or  seven  tunnels  from  60  to  500  feet  in 
length  which  define  a good  ledge  carrying  base  ore.  Dan  Kelly,  of 
Baker  City,  is  owner. 

The  Maxwell—  The  Maxwell  is  another  of  the  older  mines  of  the 
district.  Over  4000  feet  of  development  work  has  been  done  in  it 
upon  eighteen  levels.  The  ore  is  heavily  loaded  with  pvrite  asso- 
ciated with  galena  and  also  values  in  free  gold.  In  1903  the 
property  was  taken  over  by  the  Eldorado  Gold  Mining  Co.  and  the 
ten-stamp  mill  renovated.  Shipments  of  concentrates  were  being 
made  regularly  as  the  year  closed. 

Carpenter  Hill — The  Carpenter  Hill  property  is  located  in  the  old 
Pocahontas  district  nine  miles  west  of  Baker  City.  Three  small 
veins  have  been  developed  during  the  past  year  or  two.  A five-stamp 
mill  was  erected  early  in  1903  and  has  been  operating  steadily. 

The  Highland — The  Highland  Gold  Mines  Co.  owns  a group  of 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


51 


12  claims  acquired  early  in  1903  from  M.  H.  Knapp.  Development 
consists  of  a large  number  of  open  cuts  and  a number  of  short  tun- 
nels and  crosscuts,  together  with  a shaft  sunk  at  the  intersection  of 
the  Glasgow  and  Eldorado  veins.  The  ore  consists  of  massive  pyrite 
carrying  galena.  Development  is  active,  and  results  are  said  to  be 
encouraging. 


The  Rye  Valley  District 

The  Rye  Valley  district  adjoins  the  Malheur  district, — lying  to 
the  east  of  the  latter  in  township  13,  range  43  east.  Its  placers  have 
long  been  worked,  and  are  still  productive  though  no  details  are 
available  for  publication.  No  activity  in  the  quartz  prospects  has 
been  reported  for  the  past  year. 

The  Spanish  Gulch  District 

The  Spanish  Gulch  mining  district  is  located  in  the  southeastern 
corner  of  Wheeler  County,  in  township  13  south,  range  25  east.  Its 
placer  deposits  have  been  worked  since  the  first  discovery  of  gold  in 
Eastern  Oregon,  but  as  yet  the  quartz  ledges,  of  which  a considera- 
ble number  are  known  to  exist,  have  received  only  slight  develop- 
ment. The  ores  are  base, — carrying  pyrite  and  pvrrhotite  together 
with  other  sulphides  in  less  quantity.  The  oxidized  zone  extends  to 
a depth  of  200  feet. 

Argillite — James  J.  Baker  is  the  owner  of  this  property,  which 
has  been  developed  by  125  feet  of  tunnel.  The  ore  is  said  to  carry 
pyrrhotite  containing  values  in  gold,  silver  and  cobalt. 

Blue  Bucket — Five  claims  are  in  this  group  which  is  owned  by  H. 
A.  Waterman.  It  is  developed  by  surface  cuts  and  200  feet  of  tun- 
nels. Cobalt  is  also  reported  from  this  property. 

Black  Maria — Charles  Rutherford  is  owner  of  this  claim,  which 
is  opened  by  300  feet  of  workings. 

Rosa  D. — Owned  by  Brown  and  Hines,  of  Antone.  Nine  hundred 
feet  of  workings  exist.  The  ore  carries  pyrite,  but  amalgamation  in 
an  arrastra  recovers  most  of  the  values. 

Red  Jacket — Frank  Allen  is  the  owner  of  this  property.  Shafts 
aggregating  150  feet  of  work  have  been  sunk.  The  ore  is  free- mill- 
ing. 

Pauline — W.  H.  Steel,  of  The  Dalles,  is  owner.  The  mine  is 
opened  by  100  feet  of  shaft. 


52 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Klondike — W.  W.  Cowne,  of  Antone,  has  sunk  an  inclined  shaft 
upon  this  property  to  a depth  of  75  feet. 

Spanish  Gulch  Placers — This  property  is  owned  by  F.  Creighton 
and  Co.,  of  Antone.  The  bed  rock  consists  of  hard-pan  and  clay. 
One  thousand  feet  of  pipe  and  a ditch  bringing  150  inches  of  water 
four  miles  from  Rock  Creek  constitute  features  of  the  equipment. 

Patterson  Placers— The  bed  rock  at  this  mine  is  porphyry.  One 
thousand  feet  of  seven-inch  pipe  and  a ditch  one  and  one- half  miles 
long  from  the  east  fork  of  Birch  Creek  bring  100  inches  of  water  for 
placer  work.  Dave  Patterson  is  owner. 

Owens  Ditch — This  ditch  brings  125  inches  of  water  from  the 
west  fork  of  Birch  Creek.  The  supply  is  rented  to  various  local 
operators. 


Sparta  District 

But  little  is  to  report  from  this  district  for  the  year  just  closed. 
The  Gem,  formerly  one  of  its  principal  properties,  stopped  working 
in  February.  The  Crystal  Palace,  equipped  with  a Huntington  mill, 
and  largely  developed,  has  remained  unheard  from.  Development 
has  been  active  at  the  Del  Monte  and  the  Indiana,  small  hoistshaving 
been  installed  at  each  place.  No  reports  have  been  received  from  the 
placers  of  the  district.  The  locality  is  in  township  8 south,  range  44 
east. 

Maid  of  Erin — The  Maid  of  Erin  is  on  Powder  River,  six  miles 
south  of  the  Sparta  district  proper.  It  is  opened  up  on  four  levels  by 
about  1000  feet  of  workings.  A new  ten-stamp  mill  has  just  been 
completed  which  is  driven  by  water  power  brought  two  and  a half 
miles  from  Powder  River.  Pat.  Long  is  owner. 

The  Susan ville  District 

This  district  is  located  west  of  the  Greenhorn  district  near  the 
intersection  of  the  lines  between  townships  9 and  10,  and  ranges  32 
and  33.  The  ore  is  practically  all  base,  the  best  shipping  qualities 
carrying  10  per  cent  lead,  200  to  400  ounces  of  silver,  and  one  to  two 
ounces  of  gold. 

Placers  are  said  to  be  fairly  numerous,  Elk  Creek,  Deep  Creek, 
Onion  Creek,  and  Big  Creek, — all  tributaries  of  the  John  Day  from 
the  north, — still  being  productive  after  years  of  working.  Bear 
Creek  and  Camp  Cteek,  emptying  from  the  south,  also  contain  pay 
gravels.  It  is  said  that  the  John  Day  gravels  carry  gold  in  sufficient 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


53 


amount  to  justify  dredging,  and  that  other  conditions  are  favorable 
for  that  class  of  work. 

Some  of  the  more  active  quartz  properties  not  mentioned  in 
detail  below  are  the  Princess,  Gem,  Chattanooga,  and  Stockton. 
The  Monarch  has  a narrow  streak  of  very  rich  ore.  The  Wilson 
group,  owned  by  Heaton  Bros.,  has  likewise  reported  a good  shoot. 
The  Monitor  is  installing  a five-foot  Huntington  mill. 

Badger — This  property  is  opened  by  a 650  foot  inclined  shaft 
with  levels  every  100  feet,  and  by  a crosscut  1500  feet  long  tapping 
the  mine  upon  the  500-foot  level.  The  ores  are  concentrated  and 
shipped,  the  matter  of  hauling  the  concentrates  from  this  mine  being 
quite  an  industry  in  itself.  The  mill  consists  of  eight  stamps,  two 
sets  of  Cornish  rolls,  four  jigs,  five  vanners,  a breaker,  several  trom- 
mel screens,  and  an  hydraulic  sizer.  The  Badger  Gold  Mines  and 
Milling  Co.  is  the  owning  corporation.  This  company  also  owns 
the  McQuade  property,  adjoining  the  Badger,  and  having  450  feet  of 
drifts  upon  the  vein.  E.  P.  Kennedy  is  manager. 

Bull  of  the  Woods — Property  of  the  Homestake  Mining  Co.,  E. 
P.  Kennedy,  Susanville,  manager.  The  values  are  contained  in  pyr- 
itiferous  quartz  and  calcite.  The  mine  is  opened  by  240  feePof  incline 
shaft  and  400  feet  of  drifts.  A hoist  was  installed  in  1903. 

Old  River  Channel  Placers — Mr.  C.  J.  Lane,  of  Galena,  is  the  own- 
er of  this  property.  The  gravels  are  removed  by  drifting  upon  bed 
rock,  20  feet  below  the  surface,  and  sluicing  the  accumulation  of  the 
year  each  spring  with  snow  water.  A ten-mile  ditch  would  supply 
water  for  regular  hydraulic  work.  Location  is  in  section  16,  town- 
ship 10,  range  32. 

Virtue  District 

This  district  lies  about  seven  miles  east  of  Baker  City,  and  covers 
practically  the  whole  of  township  9 south,  range  41  east.  The  prin- 
cipal mine  in  the  district  is  now,  as  it  always  has  been,  the  Virtue. 
The  ore  of  the  district  is  quartz  carrying  coarse  gold  with  but  a 
small  amount  of  sulphides  Reports  of  activity  upon  the  Mammoth, 
Brazos,  Friday,  and  Cyclone  have  been  received  in  addition  to  the 
ones  described  in  what  follows. 

Emma — Improvements  at  this  property  during  1903  consist  in 
the  installation  of  a five-loot  Bryan  mill  and  a gasoline  hoist.  The 
mill  was  completed  in  May  and  has  been  in  steady  operation.  The 
hoist  is  in  service  at  a winze  which  is  being  sunk  in  the  main  tunnel 
700  feet  from  the  portal.  The  lower  tunnel  is  in  1000  feet.  W.  L. 
Vinson  is  manager. 


54 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


Virtue — The  Virtue  is  one  of  the  pioneer  mining  properties  of 
Eastern  Oregon.  After  a vicarious  career  of  over  30  years  the  mine 
was  acquirer!  in  1898  bv  a Montreal  company  known  as  the  Virtue 
Consolidated  Mines  Co.,  which  worked  it  for  a short  time  and  then 
closed  it.  In  1901  operations  were  resumed  under  the  direction  of 
Arthur  Buckbee,  who  transformed  the  property  and  pushed  develop- 
ments upon  a large  scale.  A 1500-foot  hoist  was  transferred  from 
the  Cumberland  mine,  Silver  City,  Idaho,  to  this  mine,  but  was  not 
erected.  The  old  shaft  is  down  700  feet,  but  the  present  manage- 
ment is  sinking  a new  triple  compartment  shaft  which  now  has  a 
depth  of  some  400  feet.  Ingersoll  drills  are  used  in  this  work,  and 
in  the  mining  operations  elsewhere.  A 20-stamp  mill  reduces  the 
Virtue’s  ore. 

White  Swan — This  mine  is  famous  in  the  annals  of  mining  in 
Eastern  Oregon  as  being  the  material  basis  of  the  great  promotion 
scheme  carried  on  by  Letson  Baliet  a year  or  two  ago.  Some  show 
of  work  was  made  upon  the  property  in  1903,  but  late  in  the  year 
the  pumps  were  taken  out  and  the  mine  permitted  to  fill  with  water. 
At  last  accounts  labor  liens  were  beng  filed  against  the  property  by 
former  employes. 


The  Mines  of  Harney  County  * 

Fourteen  localities  are  defined  in  Harney  County  having  mineral 
deposits  of  sufficient  worth  to  warrant  legal  locations  being  made 
within  their  limits.  All  of  the  locations  indicated  in  what  follows 
were  filed  subsequent  to  1890.  All  townships  are  south,  and  all 
ranges  east. 

The  Pueblo  District — Located  in  townships  40  and  41,  range  34. 
One  hundred  and  fifty-nine  claims  are  recorded. 

The  Idol  City  District — Township  21,  range  32.  Ten  quartz 
claims  and  eight  placer  claims  have  been  located. 

Gold  Gulch — Township  21,  range  32.  Five  quartz  claims. 

Trout  Creek — Township  21,  range  32.  Four  quartz  claims. 

Stein  Mountain — Unsurveyed.  Twenty-six  quartz  claims,  six- 
teen placer  claims,  and  sixteen  water  rights, — all  located  since  June  1, 
1902. 

Si/vies — Townships  18  and  19,  range  32.  Four  quartz  claims. 

* Special  acknowledgement  is  due  Mr.  F.  S.  Rieder,  county  clerk  of 
Harney  County,  for  the  information  given  here  regarding  the  mining  inter- 
ests of  that  section. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


55 


Unnamed — Township  22,  range  32.  Thirty-eight  claims  prior  to 
1900. 

Unnamed — Township  21,  range  32.  Two  quartz  claims,  twenty 
placer  claims. 

Unnamed — Township  22,  range  36.  Six  quartz  claims. 

Unnamed — Township  20,  range  36.  Twenty-nine  placer  claims. 

Unnamed — Township  37,  range  33.  Twenty-five  saline  lands 
carrying  borax. 

Unnamed — Township  38,  range  34  Seventeen  quartz  locations. 

Unnamed — Township  25,  range  35,  all  of  sections  16,  17,  and  21, 
— 12  claims  of  160  acres  each  for  sapphires  and  other  precious  stones. 

Harney  Mining  District* — This  district  lies  in  section  32,  town- 
ship 20,  range  32  east;  and  sections  4,  5,  and  9,  township  21,  range 
32.  Placer  deposits  were  found  in  Trout  Creek,  a tributary  of 
Silvies  River,  in  1891,  and  have  since  that  time  produced  $40,000  in 
gold  worth  $16.75  per  ounce.  The  source  of  the  gold  seems  to  be  a 
body  of  porphyry  assaying  $1.50  almost  any  where  at  the  surface. 
Ledges  have  been  found  in  which  the  quartz  carries  from  $3.00  to 
$36.00  in  gold  and  from  one  to  eighty-four  ounces  of  silver.  Develop- 
ments in  the  district  in  the  way  of  tunnels  and  shafts  amount  to  con- 
siderable more  than  4000  feet.  The  oxidized  zone  extends  to  a depth 
of  only  40  feet.  The  porphyry  belt  is  about  four  miles  long  and  one 
and  a half  miles  wide,  extending  from  southwest  to  northeast.  It  is 
surrounded  bv  granite.  All  ore  ever  extracted,  except  a small  amount 
shipped  for  milling  tests,  remains  upon  the  dumps.  The  records  of 
the  county  clerk  show  that  59  quartz  claims  and  eight  placer  claims 
have  been  located  in  this  district  since  1890. 

Mines  of  Crook  County 

Reports  of  activity  on  Ochoco  Creek,  section  30,  township  13, 
range  20  east,  have  been  received,  where  the  Mayflower  group, 
owned  by  the  Oregon  Mayflower  Co.,  has  been  under  development 
with  Thron  Thronson,  of  Howard,  in  charge.  One  hundred  and 
thirty  feet  of  vertical  shafts,  a 22-foot  winze,  70-foot  stope,  and 
a tunnel,  driven  1000  feet  beyond  the  vein  by  a former  management, 
constitute  development.  Values  are  in  gold  and  silver,  with  an  inter- 
esting variety  of  vein  minerals. 

On  Bear  Creek,  near  Crook,  John  C.  Stain  has  some  prospects 
carrying  copper,  gold  and  silver,  the  amount  of  development  work 

* This  information  regarding  the  Harney  district  was  kindly  supplied  by 

Mr.  O.  J.  Darat,  of  Burns. 


56 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


not  being  given.  Mr.  Stain  reports  that  the  mineral  interests  in  the 
neighborhood  will  be  important  when  developed. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Crook,  Richard  Hurley  is  developing  a 
property  carrying  gold  and  silver — the  latter  metal  occuring  as  the 
chloride.  Two  hundred  feet  of  open  cut,  110  feet  vertical  shaft,  and 
90  feet  of  tunnel  work  describes  development. 

Near  Ashwood,  township  9,  range  17  east,  is  a group  of  mines  in 
the  Trout  Creek  district.  The  following  properties  have  been 
reported: 

Oregon  King—  Oregon  King  Mining  Co.,  J.  E.  Edwards,  Hay 
Creek,  manager;  W.  S.'^Thomas,  Ashwood,  superintendent.  Devel- 
oped by  520  feet  vertical  shaft,  1000  feet  of  tunnel,  and  numerous 
surface  cuts.  The  ore  is  pyrite,  chalcopyrite  and  blende  carrying 
gold  and  silver.  Although  rather  complex  it  is  said  that  the  ore  is 
easily  smelted.  The  mine  is  in  active  opperation  again  after  two 
years  of  enforced  idleness  because  of  legal  complications. 

Red  Jacket — Red  Jacket  Mining  Co.,  Jos.  Wood,  manager.  Two 
hundred  feet  of  shaft  and  tunnels  open  the  ore  body.  The  gold  and 
silver  are  associated  with  stibnite. 

Ray — Ray  Mining  Co.,  E.  P.  Marshall,  Pendleton,  manager. 
Opened  by  three  shafts  80  feet,  35  feet  and  20  feet  in  depth,  and  by 
short  tunnels.  The  ore  is  base,  carrying  gold,  silver,  pyrite,  chalco- 
pyrite, blende,  and  galena. 

In  addition  to  the  above  a considerable  number  of  prospects  are 
being  developed,  among  which  are  the  Ashwood,  Antelope,  Kimber- 
ley, Dexter,  Oregon  Queen,  Gold  King,  White  Butte,  and  others. 

The  Mines  of  Lake  County 

The  gold  and  silver  mines  of  Lake  County  are  an  unknown  quan- 
tity. Rich  specimens  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  opals,  topaz,  and  other 
minerals  have  been  picked  up  by  herders,  it  is  said,  and  some  ledges 
have  been  traced  carrying  low  values“in  the  precious  metals.  It  is 
reported  that  these  ledges  are  wide  and  long,  but  an  absolute  lack  of 
means  of  transportation  makes  it  scarcely  ..worth  while  even  to  pros- 
pect them. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


57 


Gold  in  the  Cascade  Mountains 

The  Northern  Cascades 

Gold  is  occasionally  found  in  paying  quantities  in  the  Cascades 
north  of  the  Blue  River  district.  Mining  operations  were  important 
upon  some  of  the  northern  branches  of  the  Santiam  in  early  days, 
but  suffered  a decline  from  which  a recovery  has  been  in  evidence  just 
in  the  last  year  or  two.  Some  of  the  finest  specimens  of  wire  gold 
ever  produced  in  Oregon  came  from  the  Santiam.  Late  discoveries 
seem  to  be  of  a base  character, — copper,  lead,  and  zinc  figuring  in 
many  of  the  assay  reports.  The  most  northerly  occurrence  of  gold 
in  the  Cascades  is  that  reported  at  Chena  Creek1  in  Clackamas 
County. 

The  Chena  Creek  District — About  one  hundred  claims  have  been 
located  in  the  Chena  Creek  district,  according  to  reliable  information, 
of  which  about  20  are  under  development.  Ores  are  of  the  charac- 
ter described  above.  The  present  energies  of  those  interested  are 
largely  directed  toward  securing  better  roads  into  the  district. 

The  Northern  Light  Mining  and  jMilling  Co.  has  a mining  prop- 
erty upon  Huckleberry  Mountain,  Chena  Creek,  near  the  mouth  of 
Salmon  Creek,  eastern  Clackamas  County.  The  deposit  carries  sil- 
ver, lead,  copper  and  gold,  and  is  exposed  by  a shaft  87  feet  deep, 
and  a tunnel  400  feet  long.  Water  power  is  used  in  development. 
E.  Renfer,  109  Grand  Avenue,  Portland,  is  president. 

The  Gold  Creek  Mining  and  Milling  Co. — This  is  a Salem  corpor- 
ation owning  a group,  of  13  claims  in  the  Gold  Creek  district.  The 
group  is  located  upon  the  Little  North  Fork  of  the  Santiam,  Marion 
County,  township  18  south,  range  5 east.  Development  consists  of 
400  feet  of  workings.  An  electric  drill,  the  power  for  which  comes 
from  an  overshot  wheel  and  a 15-kilowatt  generator  upon  Gold 
Creek  is  used  in  development.  Values  are  in  copper,  silver  and  gold. 
Sam  Burghardt,  of  Elkhorn,  is  manager. 

Sunnyside — This  mine  is  located  near  the  property  just  described. 
It  is  under  development  with  C.  G.  Holt  in  charge. 

The  Freeland  Consolidated— This  mine  has  50  feet  of  open  cut, 
84  feet  of  vertical  shaft,  300  feet  of  tunnel,  and  crosscuts  and  drifts. 
Hugh  Freeland  is  superintendent. 


58 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


The  Lewis  and  Clark  Mining  and  Milling  Co. — Three  claims  are 
owned  by  this  company  in  the  Mineral  Harbor  district.  The  ledge  is 
opened  by  250  feet  of  tunnels.  F.  M.  Brooks,  of  Silverton,  is  presi- 
dent. 

Humbug — Property  of  the  Breitcnbush  Mining  Co.,  J.  J.  Yackley, 
Detroit,  manager.  Township  9,  range  6 east.  Base  ore  carrying 
copper. 

Greenhorn — This  is  a large  frce-jnilling  deposit  in  section  G,  town- 
ship 10,  range  6 east.  One  hundred  and  twenty  feet  of  working  tun- 
nel and  many  open  cuts  constitute  development.  W.  J.  Smith,  of 
Detroit,  is  manager. 

Pride  of  Henlin — Located  in  township  8,  range  3 east.  It  is 
owned  by  H.  and  J.  L.  Freeland,  of  Salem.  The  vein  is  said  to  be  40 
feet  wide,  and  carries  lead,  zinc,  silver,  and  antimony.  Opened  by  sur- 
face cuts,  64  feet  of  vertical  shaft,  and  80  feet  of  tunnel. 

Mineral  Cut — This  property  is  located  upon  the  C.  and  E.  Rail- 
road near  Detroit.  The  ore  is  base.  Opened  by  surface  cuts  and  100 
feet  of  tunnel. 

Albany — In  the  Quartzville  district,  township  10,  range  4 cast. 
It  is  opened  by  1100  feet  of  tunnel,  and  is  equipped  with  a ten-stamp 
mill.  Frank  Reed  is  manager. 

Lawler—  Another  mine  of  the  Quartzville  district  is  the  Lawler, 
of  which  R.  E.  Edson,  Gates,  is  manager.  Two  thousand  feet  of 
tunnel  work  has  been  done.  Ore  is  base.  A 20-stamp  mill  is  upon 
the  property  but  is  not  in  use. 

The  Mollala  District — Upon  Ogle  Creek,  a tributary  of  the 
Mollala,  several  prospects  have  been  located  and  companies  formed 
to  work  them.  The  gold  is  said  to  occur  in  a much  decomposed 
quartz  resembling  kaolin.  Specimens  of  wire  gold  several  inches  in 
length  have  been  taken  out.  Some  of  the  parties  interested  are  the 
following:  P.  A.  and  John  B.  Fairclough;  J.  V.  Harless;  and  F.  D. 
Kepkey,  all  of  Mollala. 


The  Blue  River  District 

The  location  of  this  district,  as  defined  by  the  miners  themselves 
in  their  articles  of  organization,  is  as  follows: 

Township  14,  ranges  2,  3,  and  4;  township  15,  ranges  2,  3,  and 
4;  township  16,  ranges  2,  3,  and  4,  except  the  east  half  of  township 
16,  range  4;  township  17,  ranges  2,  3,  and  4, — all  townships  south, 
and  all  ranges  east. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


59 


It  is  upon  the  watershed  dividing  the  basin  of  the  McKenzie 
from  that  of  the  Calapooia,  45  miles  east  of  Eugene.  It  is  reached 
by  wagon  road  up  the  McKenzie  from  that  place,  as  well  as  by  road 
up  the  Calapooia  from  Brownsville. 

The  formations,  according  to  Diller,  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
Bohemia  district  50  miles  to  the  south.  The  general  course  of  the 
veins,  according  to  this  same  authority,  is  north,  60°  to  88°  west, 
their  dip  being  75°  to  90°  southwest.  The  ores  taken  out  up  to  the 
present  time  have  been  almost  entirely  from  the  oxidized  zone.  Con- 
centrates from  the  Lucky  Boy,  which  are  probably  typical,  are  said 
to  carry  only  low  values. 

A very  large  number  of  prospects  are  under  development,  only  a 
small  number  of  which  have  been  reported  for  this  work.  The  most 
significant  event  of  the  year  for  the  district  has  been  the  equipment 
of  the  Lucky  Boy  with  a new  mill,  details  of  which  are  given  below! 

Anaconda  Group — A.  E.  Wood  and  others  are  the  owners  of  this 
property.  It  is  developed  by  40  feet  of  open  cuts  and  100  feet  of 
tunnel. 

Badger — Property  of  the  Oregon  Blue  River  Mines  Co.,  of  Phila- 
delphia, W.  L.  Beckner,  manager.  Developed  by  a 300-foot  tunnel 
upon  the  ledge. 

Broncho  and  Burro — This  property  is  developed  by  surface  work- 
ings and  750  feet  of  tunnel.  The  ore  is  partly  base.  Dexter  and 
Sparks  are  owners. 

Cinderella — Owned  by  Thos.  Brandon  et  ai.,  of  Halsey.  The 
vein,  which  is  said  to  have  a width  of  12  feet,  is  opened  by  a 50-foot 
shaft  and  240  feet  of  tunnel. 

Davis  Group— John  E.  Davis,  of  Portland,  owner.  Three  claims, 
water  rights,  and  a mill  site  are  included.  The  equipment  consists  of 
a mill  house  20x40  feet,  two  crushers,  and  three  arrastras. 

Dean  and  Gilkey  Group — Owned  by  Messrs.  Dean,  Gilkey,  and 
Calkins.  The  vein  is  opened  by  a 50-foot  vertical  shaft  and  a 50-foot 
tunnel.  Mr.  T.  C.  Dean,  of  Monmouth,  is  manager. 

The  Doctor — Dr.  C.  F.  Candiani,  Italian  consul  at  Portland,  is 
owner.  The  ledge  is  said  to  be  35  feet  wide.  A small  mill  upon  this 
property  was  destroyed  by  a snow-slide  last  winter. 

Evening  Group — Owned  by  J.  E.  McCauley,  of  Portland.  The 
vein  is  opened  by  a shaft  50  feet  deep,  two  tunnels,  and  many  open 
cuts.  Tunnel  No.  1 is  112’feet  below  the  summit,  and  has  reached  a 
depth  of  250  feet;  No.  2 is  128  feet  below  No.  1,  and  is  now  in  450 
feet. 


60 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Glendale — Owned  by  Sam  McConiga  et  al.  One  short  tunnel  has 
been  driven.  John  Rucker  is  manager. 

Great  Northern — Property  of  the  Great  Northern  Mill  and  Min- 
ing Co.,  of  Brownsville.  Fifty-six  feet  of  vertical  shaft  and  200  feet 
of  tunnels  is  the  amount  of  development  done.  A two-stainp  mill  is 
in  operation. 

Happy  Jack — Sam  McConiga  is  owner  of  this  claim.  It  isopened 
by  50  feet  of  open  cuts  and  90  feet  of  tunnel. 

Hustler  and  Black  Bear — Owned  by  A.  E.  Wood,  of  Blue  River, 
who  has  proved  a good  vein  by  means  of  a 60-foot  shaft  and  1000 
feet  of  tunnel.  The  ore  in  this  mine  is  said  to  be  mainly  auriferous 
pyrite. 

Keystone — Property  of  John  W.  Downer,  who  has  made  50  feet 
of  open  cuts,  sunk  a shaft  22 feet  in  depth,  and  driven  a short  tunnel. 

Lucky  Boy— This  is  the  principal  mine  of  the  district.  It  is 
opened  by  tunnels  upon  four  levels  at  the  present  time,  giving  a 
depth  of  400  feet.  Four  upraises  cut  all  tunnenls.  A new  adit  is  to 
be  run  from  the  level  of  the  new  mill, — 500  feet  below  the  lowest 
tunnel  now  existing.  The  vein  is  very  wide  in  places.  A 15-stamp 
mill  has  been  in  continuous  operation  during  the  past  year,  but 
closed  down  for  removal  late  in  December.  A new  mill  has  been 
under  construction  during  the  3’ear  to  be  placed  500  feet  below  the 
present  one,  and  to  have  40  stamps  instead  of  15.  Adjunctive  appli- 
ances in  the  way  of  concentrators,  crushers,  and  a cyanide  plant  for 
tailings  will  be  parts  of  the  new  equipment,  which  will  have  a capac- 
ity of  150  tons  in  24  hours.  Power  for  the  mill  and  for  lights  and 
mining  operations  will  be  secured  from  the  McKenzie,  water  being 
taken  from  this  stream  two  and  three-quarter  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  Blue  River  and  conveyed  by  flume  to  the  power  plant,  where  a fall 
of  28  feet  is  secured.  Victor  turbines  will  develop  1100  horse  power. 
A 500-horse-power  generator  comprises  the  initial  electrical  installa- 
tion, which  is  being  put  in  by  the  Westinghouse  company.  The 
Lucky  Boy  Mining  Co.  owns  the  property.  T.  C.  Sharkey  is  man- 
ager. 

Morning—  Beckner  and  Merrill  are  the  owners  of  this  property. 
No  details  of  development  have  been  received. 

Noonday  Group — The  five  claims  of  this  group  are  owned  by 
Tate  Bros.  Development  consists  of  25(Jfeet  of  tunnels  and  100  feet 
of  open  cuts.  An  arrastra  is  in  use  for  the  reduction  of  the  ore. 

Ravena— This  property  consists  of  11  claims  and  a mill  site 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


61 


owned  by  the  Ravena  Mining  Co.,  of  Portland.  The  vein  is  explored 
by  82  feet  of  tunnel,  240  feet  of  crosscuts,  and  100  feet  of  drifts.  C. 
P.  Wright  is  manager. 

Rambler — The  Rambler  Consolidated  Mining  and  Milling  Co., 
owner.  Several  cuts  and  a short  tunnel  constitute  development 
work.  J.  H.  Scott  is  president  of  the  corporation. 

Sun — Messrs.  Holcomb,  Washburn  and  others  have  developed 
this  claim  by  three  tunnels,  105  feet,  85  feet,  and  30  feet  in  length 
respectively. 

St.  Louis — Dr.  J.  H.  Kessler,  of  Portland,  owns  this  property.  It 
is  described  as  a porphyry  bluff  200  feet  wide  carrying  low  values, 
but  with  many  stringers  of  rich  ore. 

Sunset  Group — W.  H.  Dodge  and  C.  Runyard  have  recently  ac- 
quired this  property.  It  is  developed  by  600  feet  of  workings  and 
many  surface  cuts.  A vein  of  good  width  is  proved,  and  satisfactory 
values  are  obtained. 

Treasure — This  is  at  present  the  most  extensively  developed  mine 
of  the  district.  It  is  opened  by  a prospect  shaft  30  feet  deep,  and  by 
tunnels  upon  five  levels.  These  workings,  together  with  numerous 
upraises  and  crosscuts, — amounting  to  about  4000  feet  in  all, — prove 
a large  ore  shoot  which  steadily  increases  in  size  with  depth.  The 
ore  is  free-milling,  the  lowest  level  not  having  yet  reached  the  limit  of 
the  oxidized  zone.  Development  is  still  in  progress.  A stamp  mill 
will  probably  be  installed  soon.  C.  H.  Park,  of  Eugene,  is  manager. 

Uncle  Sam — Figures  showing  the  amount  of  development  work 
done  upon  this  property  are  not  available.  It  is  equipped  with  a 
ten-stamp  mill,  which  has  been  idle  during  the  past  year.  Develop- 
ment continues,  however,  and  a resumption  of  milling  operations  is 
promised. 


Fall  Creek  District 

A number  of  prospects  are  reported  from  Fall  Creek,  located  in 
townships  18  and  19  south,  ranges  3 and  4 east,  Lane  County.  The 
Jumbo  group  has  200  feet  of  tunnel  work  done,  and  a contract  let  for 
200  feet  more.  This  is  said  to  be  the  best  developed  property  in  the 
district.  Geo.  H.  Delp,  of  Lowell,  is  in  charge  of  the  Jumbo. 

The  Bohemia  District 

The  Bohemia  district  is  located  in  township  23,  ranges  1 and  2 
east,  partly  in  Lane  County  and  partly  in  Douglas.  It  occupies  a 


62 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


portion  of  the  westerly  spur  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  known  as 
the  Calapooia  Mountains,  the  highest  point  of  which  is  reached  in 
Bohemia  peak  with  an  altitude  of  6530  feet.  At  least  four  other 
peaks,  however, — Fairview,  Elephant,  Grouse,  and  Grizzly  peaks, — 
are  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Bohemia  peak,  and  have  alti- 
tudes above  6000  feet.  These  altitudes  are  considerably  greater  than 
are  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  Calapooias,  so  that  the  district  is  a 
prominent  topographical  feature  of  this  section. 

The  nearest  point  on  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad  is  Cottage 
Grove  which  is  35  miles  from  the  center  of  the  district.  A good  wa- 
gon road  covers  the  whole  distance,  28  miles  of  which  is  a practically 
level  stretch  in  the  Row  River  valley.  At  the  mouth  of  Sharps  Creek 
the  road  forks,  one  branch  making  the  ascent  upon  the  southern 
slope  of  Hardscrabble  Ridge,  the  other  entering  by  way  of  Champion 
Basin.  The  latter  branch  was  completed  just  during  the  past  year. 
For  two  years  the  Oregon  and  Southeastern  railroad  has  been  un- 
der construction  from  Cottage  Grove  into  the  district.  This  railway 
is  now  completed  for  about  30  miles  of  the  distance.  It  is  expected 
that  its  ultimate  terminus  will  be  at  the  “Warehouse”  on  Frank 
Brass  Creek,  though  it  is  said  to  be  the  plan  of  the  Oregon  Securities 
Co.  to  extend  the  track  to  the  mill  in  Champion  Basin  belonging 
to  this  company, — electric  traction  being  the  proposed  method  of 
conducting  traffic  upon  the  severe  grades  existing  between  the  points 
in  question. 

The  veins  of  this  district  strike  north  15°  to  90°  west,  the  aver- 
age being  about  60°  west;  the  dip  is  in  general  from  60°  to  85° 
southwest.  The  principal  gangue  material  is  quartz;  the  vein  min- 
erals associated  with  the  gold  are  pyrite,  sphalerite,  galena,  chalco- 
pvrite,  iron  oxides,  cerussite,  millerite,  and  others.  The  oxidized 
zone  is  exceedingly  variable  in  depth,  the  extremes  being  between  a 
few  feet,  and  perhaps  500  feet. 

A considerable  gold  production  has  been  accredited  to  the  district 
in  the  past,  but  for  two  or  three  years  every  energy  has  been  directed 
toward  development,  so  that  production  during  this  period  has  been 
practically  nil.  The  building  of  the  railroad  has  stimulated  activity 
to  a remarkable  degree,  however,  so  that  the  condition  of  the  camp 
is  far  better  than  ever  before,  and  unless  indications  are  seriously  at 
fault  a satisfactory  output  of  metal  will  follow  very  soon. 

It  is  stated  that  over  3000  claims  have  been  located  in  the  Bohe- 
mia district. 

Anaconda — Owned  by  the  Anaconda  Gold  Mining  Company,  of 
Bohemia,  R.  McMurphy,  of  Eugene,  manager.  Located  upon  Fair- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


63 


view  Mountain.  Developed  by  50  feet  of  open  cuts  and  400  feet  of 
tunnel  work.  The  ore  is  free  milling. 

Baltimore — Ed.  Jenks,  of  Bohemia,  owner.  This  is  a Fairvicw 
Mountain  property  opened  by  200  feet  of  tunnels.  The  ore  is  base. 

Belcher — Mr.  Day,  of  Eugene,  owns  this  property,  which  is  to  be 
found  upon  Johnson  Meadows.  It  has  200  feet  of  work. 

Benefit — G.  G.  Warner,  of  Eugene,  is  owner.  It  is  located  in 
Champion  Basin.  Opened  by  a tunnel  60  feet  long. 

Boston — Owned  by  the  Bohemia  Gold  Mining  Co.,  Geo.  W.  Lloyd, 
of  Cottage  Grove,  manager.  Opened  by  60  feet  of  tunnel,  and  situ- 
ated near  Hardscrabble  road. 

Calapooia — The  Calapooia-Bohemia  Gold  Mining  Co.,  R.  iMcMur- 
phy,  of  Eugene,  manager.  The  property  is  upon  Windy  Creek.  De- 
velopment consists  of  100  feet  of  open  cuts  and  600  feet  of  tunnels. 

Cripple  Creek — Cochran  and  Gilbert  are  the  owners  of  this  prop- 
erty. It  is  situated  upon  Jackass  Ridge  and  is  opened  by  200  feet  of 
tunnels. 

Crystal  Consolidated — Owned  by  the  Bohemia  Gold  Mining  Co., 
Geo.  W.  Lloyd,  Cottage  Grove,  manager.  Located  upon  Fairview 
Mountain.  Development  consists  of  two  tunnels  each  having  a 
length  of  200  feet.  A saw  mill  was  put  in  early  in  the  year  and  a 
five-stamp  mill  is  almost  completed.  A wagon  road  has  been  con- 
structed which  connects  with  the  new  road  in  Champion  Basin. 

Elephant  Group — A.  J.  Howard,  Cottage  Grove,  owner.  Located 
upon  Elephant  Mountain,  and  opened  by  100  feet  of  work. 

Elkhorn — Andrew  Brund  and  D.  P.  Burton  are  the  owners  of  this 
claim.  It  has  800  feet  of  work. 

Evening  Star — Whipple  Bros.,  owners.  Located  upon  Grouse 
Mountain.  Two  hundred  feet  of  development. 

Glenwood — Owned  by  F.  Hinds,  Cottage  Grove.  Hardscrabble 
road.  Three  hundred  feet  of  workings. 

Gold  Cross — Bohemia  Gold  Mining  Co.,  Geo.  W.  Lloyd,  manager. 
The  location  of  this  property  is  upon  Noonday  Ridge.  A large  ore 
shoot  is  developed  by  800  feet  of  tunnels. 

Gold  King — This  mine  is  the  property  of  A.  W.  Zinikie.  It  is 
located  on  Horse  Heaven  Creek,  and  is  developed  by  300  feet  of 
workings. 

Gold  Star — Peterson  and  Klucky  own  this  claim,  which  is  to  be 


64 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


found  upon  Fairview  Mountain.  Five  hundred  feet  of  development 
work  has  been  done. 

Golden  Rule — The  Golden  Rule  Gold  Mining  Co.  is  the  owning 
corporation,  of  which  Wm.  Wechter,  of  Salem,  is  the  manager.  The 
claim  is  located  at  the  foot  of  Hardscrabble  road.  It  is  opened  by 
100  feet  of  open  cuts  and  by  tunnels  70  feet  in  aggregate  length. 

Golden  Slipper  Group — Dr.  J.  P.  Oglesby,  of  Cottage  Grove,  is 
manager  for  the  Golden  Slipper  Mining  Co.  The  holdings  of  the 
company  are  upon  Horse  Heaven  Creek.  Three  hundred  feet  of  work 
has  been  done  in  two  tunnels. 

Grizzly — Owned  by  the  Grizzly  Gold  Mining  Co.,  Dan  Byrne,  of 
Cottage  Grove,  manager.  The  location  of  the  property  is  upon 
Grizzly  Mountain.  A good  body  of  base  ore  is  exposed  by  tunnels 
and  a shaft  aggregating  800  feet  of  workings. 

Grouse  Mountain — Owned  by  the  Grouse  Mountain  Mining  Co. 
Four  hundred  feet  of  work  has  been  done. 

Helms  Bros. — The  location  of  this  property  is  at  Ridge  Hotel. 
Five  hundred  feet  of  development  work  has  been  done. 

Henry  Clay — Messrs.  Whale  and  Gilbert,  of  Salem,  are  the  own- 
ers of  this  claim.  Location,  Monta  Rica  Ridge.  The  ledge  is  opened 
by  1200  feet  of  work. 

Hiawatha — Property  of  the  Hiawatha  Gold  Mining  Co.,  Alfred 
Johnson  et  al.  Location  is  upon  Fairview  Mountain.  The  ore  ex- 
posed by  two  tunnels  and  an  upraise  is  said  to  be  good.  It  is  partly 
free  and  partly  base.  The  development  work  amounts  to  360  feet. 

Iowa — Property  of  the  Iowa  Gold  Mining  Co.  Location,  Horse 
Heaven  Creek.  One  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  development  work. 

Judson  Rock—1  W.  H.  Blair,  of  Cottage  Grove,  is  manager  for  the 
Judson  Rock  Mining  Co  The  property  is  located  upon  Fairview 
Mountain.  Development  to  the  extent  of  400  feet  is  reported. 

Knott — D.  Ladd,  of  Bohemia,  owns  this  Grouse  Mountain  prop- 
erty. An  80-foot  shaft  has  been  sunk. 

LeRoy — Owned  by  the  LeRoy  Mining  Co  , LeRoy  Bros.,  of  Cot- 
tage Grove,  principal  owners.  The  property  is  located  upon  the 
Fairview  slope  of  Champion  Basin.  The  ore  is  practically  all  base. 
Eight  hundred  feet  of  tunnel  has  been  driven.  The  mining  equip- 
ment includes  a small  Leyner  compressor  and  drill. 

Mayflower — The  owning  corporation  of  this  group  is  The  May- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


65 

flower  Mining  Co.,  of  which  W.  P.  Ely,  of  Kelso,  Washington,  is 
manager.  The  property  is  situated  upon  Horse  Heaven  Creek.  A 
wide  ledge  carrying  values  in  gold,  silver,  copper,  and  lead  is  exposed 
by  tunnels  aggregating  1000  feet  in  length. 

Montana — Reed  and  Fletcher  are  the  owners  of  this  group. 
Location,  Grizzly  Mountain;  developments,  1500  feet. 

Nemo — Owned  by  Gill  Meadows  and  Charles  Rutan.  Located 
upon  Grizzly  Mountain.  Two  tunnels  have  been  driven,  the  com- 
bined length  of  which  is  500  feet. 

Noonday — Noonday  Mining  Co.,  Herbert  Leigh,  Eugene,  agent. 
Located  on  Noonday  Ridge.  One  of  the  older  properties  of  the  dis- 
trict which  has  been  developed  by  4300  feet  of  tunnel,  500  feet  of  up- 
raises, and  by  open  cuts.  A 20-stamp  mill  is  upon  the  property,  but 
operations  are  at  a standstill  presumably  until  transportation  facili- 
are  improved. 

North  Fairview — North  Fairview  Mining  Co.,  Herbert  Leigh, 
Eugene,  manager.  The  location  of  this  property  is  upon  Fairview 
Mountain.  It  is  opened  by  1100  feet  of  tunnel  and  many  open  cuts. 
Oxidized  quartz  with  occasional  shoots  of  pyrite  and  galena  are  the 
vein  materials. 

Oliver  Twist  Group — O.  G.  Gilbertson,  et  al. , owners.  The  group 
is  located  upon  Jackass  Ridge,  and  is  opened  by  200  feet  of  work. 

Oregon-Colorado — Owned  by  The  Oregon-Colorado  Mining,  Mil- 
ling, and  Development  Co.,  F.  J.  Hard,  Portland,  manager.  Loca- 
tion, junction  of  City  and  Annie  Creeks.  The  ore  body,  which  com- 
prises a ledge  seven  to  eight  feet  wide  containing  a pa}r  streak  two  to 
five  feet  wide,  is  exposed  by  1500  feet  of  tunnels  and  upraises.  The 
ore  is  base,  and  a concentrating  plant  will  be  installed  as  soon  as 
conditions  will  warrant  this  step.  A wagon  road  has  been  built  to 
connect  with  the  Hardscrabble  road. 

Oregon  Securities  Co. — G.  B.  Hengen,  Corn  Exchange  Bank  Build- 
ing, New  York,  secretary;  C.  C.  Matthews,  superintendent.  Incor- 
porated under  the  laws  of  New  Jersey,  this  company  has  effected  the 
consolidation  of  the  Helena  Consolidated  Mining  and  Milling  Co., 
the  Music  Mining  and  Milling  Co.,  the  Calapooia  Mining  and  Tunnel 
Co.,  the  Broadway  Group,  and  other  properties.  The  same  interests 
are  concerned  in  the  construction  of  the  Oregon  and  Southeastern 
railroad  from  Cottage  Grove  to  Bohemia  district. 

The  activities  of  the  management  have  been  directed  largely  dur- 
ing the  past  year  toward  a betterment  of  above-ground  conditions 
at  their  properties  with  the  apparent  purpose  of  centralizing  milling 


66 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


operations.  A mill  with  30  stamps  has  been  constructed  in  the 
Champion  Basin  near  the  site  of  the  old  Champion  mill;  an  electric 
power  plant  has  been  installed  upon  Frank  Brass  Creek  seven  miles 
below  with  a capacity  of  500-horse  power;  poles  and  wires  have  been 
strung;  seven  miles  of  good  mountain  road  has  been  constructed 
from  the  “Warehouse”  into  Champion  Basin,  and  a long  wire  tram, 
compressor  pipe  lines,  etc.,  have  been  installed.  In  addition  to  these 
improvements  much  work  has  been  done  upon  the  long  crosscuts 
being  driven  to  the  Musick  and  Helena  mines  through  which  ore  will 
be  brought  by  electric  traction  to  the  upper  terminus  of  the  tram  for 
delivery  to  the  mill.  Milling  will  include  amalgamation  and  con- 
centration. 

The  Helena  No.  1 is  developed  by  some  7000  feet  of  work.  Its 
ledge  is  to  be  tapped  by  the  new  working  tunnel  at  a total  depth,  it 
is  said,  of  1800  feet  from  the  surface.  Details  of  development  in  the 
Helena  No.  2 are  not  at  hand.  The  Champion  is  an  old  mine,  and 
3000  feet  of  development  is  said  to  be  the  amount  done  in  it.  The 
Musick  is  the  pioneer  producer  of  the  district;  development  is  said  to 
aggregate  7000  feet.  The  Broadway  group  is  a comparatively  unde- 
veloped property  with  perhaps  900  feet  of  workings. 

Peek-a-Boo — Billy  Edwards  and  others  own  this  property.  It  is 
located  upon  Jackass  Ridge.  Two  hundred  feet  of  workings  are 
reported. 

Rambler — The  Rambler  Consolidated  Mining  Co.  is  the  corpora- 
tion owning  this  mine.  It  is  developed  by  a shaft  50  feet  deep  and  a 
tunnel  250  feet  in  length.  J.  H.  Scott,  Crawfords ville,  Ind.,  is  one  of 
the  principal  owners. 

Rattler — Ben  Pearson,  of  Cottage  Grove,  is  the  owner  of  this 
Jackass  Ridge  property.  It  is  developed  by  100  feet  of  workings. 

Riverside — The  Riverside  Mining  and  Milling  Co.  is  the  owning 
corporation,  of  which  F.  J.  Hard,  of  Portland,  is  manager.  The  mine 
is  located  upon  Noonday  Ridge,  and  includes  a 4500-foot  extension 
of  the  Gold  Cross  ledge.  Development  amounts  to  700  feet.  The 
ore  is  both  free  and  base. 

Scorpion  Group— This  group  is  located  upon  Horse  Heaven  Creek, 
and  is  the  property  of  Jack  Morgan  and  others.  Development  con- 
sists of  110  feet  of  tunnel  workings. 

Sears  Group— Property  of  James  W.  Sears,  of  Bohemia.  The 
group  is  located  upon  Grouse  Mountain.  Six  hundred  feet  of  devel- 
opment work  ha>s  been  done  upon  it. 

Shane  Group— Details  of  development  upon  this  property  are  not 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin  67 

available.  It  is  owned  by  W.  H.  Shane.  Location,  Monta  Rica 
Ridge. 

Sunrise  Group — Owned  C.  A.  Loveless,  Fargo,  N.  D.  Located 
upon  Adams  Mountain.  Development  amounts  to  1200  feet  of 
workings. 

Sweepstake  Group — S.  J.  Brund,  of  Bohemia,  owns  this  group. 
It  is  located  upon  Elephant  Mountain.  Opened  by  1000  feet  of  tun- 
nel work. 

Syndicate— Ed  Jenks  and  associates  have  opened  up  this  property 
upon  Noonday  Ridge  by  250  fdet  of  work. 

Three  Monte — Al.  Churchill  owns  this  claim.  It  is  a Fairview 
Mountain  location,  developed  by  250  feet  of  work. 

United  States  Consolidated — C.  J.  Barhite,  of  Eugene,  is  largely 
interested  in  the  mine.  It  is  opened  by  350  feet  of  tunnel  work  and 
numerous  surface  cuts. 

Utopian  Group — Alex.  Pugh  and  associates  are  developing  a 
group  by  this  name  upon  Elephant  Mountain.  Three  hundred  feet 
of  tunnel  work  has  been  done. 

Vesuvius — Owned  by  the  Vesuvius  Gold  Mining  Co.,  F.  J.  Hard, 
of  Portland,  manager.  This  is  one  of  the  most  extensively  developed 
properties  to  be  found  upon  Fairview  Mountain,— 2300  feet  of  tun- 
nels and  upraises  having  been  made  within  a continuous  body  of 
oxidized  ore.  Within  the  last  few  months  the  Stocks  and  Harlowe 
property  adjacent  to  the  Vesuvius  has  been  acquired  by  the  manage- 
ment of  the  latter.  A five-stamp  mill  was  included  in  this  transac- 
tion, and  this  has  been  renovated  and  put  to  work  upon  the  ore 
taken  out  of  the  Vesuvius  during  development. 

Wall  Street — S.  G.  Davidson,  of  Portland,  is  owner  of  this  claim. 
It  is  located  upon  Grouse  Mountain.  Five  hundred  feet  of  develop- 
ment work  discloses  a body  of  good  base  ore. 

White  Iron — Two  hundred  feet  of  work  has  been  done  upon  this 
property  of  J.  B.  King  which  is  located  upon  Elephant  Mountain. 

Winchester  Group—].  I.  Jones,  of  Cottage  Grove  has  developed 
this  group  by  400  feet  of  work.  It  is  to  be  found  at  Johnson 
Meadows. 


Gold  and  Silver  in  Douglas  County 

The  most  significant  mineral  deposits  of  Northern  Douglas 
County  are  comprised  within  the  limits  of  the  Bohemia  distfict,  and 


68 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


have  been  described  above.  Gold  occurs  at  intervals,  however,  along 
the  eastern  and  southern  borders  of  the  county. 

Dodson  Butte  District — In  the  vicinity  of  Dodson  Butte,  about  12 
miles  southeast  of  Roseburg,  are  some  copper  prospects  which  have 
received  considerable  development.  They  are  described  by  Diller  in 
the  Roseburg  Folio, — No.  49  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  The 
Black  Republican  and  the  Yankee  Boy  properties  have  received  the 
largest  amount  of  development.  No  reports  of  activity  have  been 
received  from  them  for  1903. 

North  Myrtle  Creek — Placers  have  been  worked  upon  this  creek 
for  many  years.  The  McClellan  placer  near  the  mouth  of  Lee  Creek 
is  equipped  with  a No.  1 giant  which  is  supplied  with  water 
through  a two-mile  ditch.  The  Porter  placer,  in  the  same  locality,  is 
similarly  equipped. 

South  Myrtle  Creek — A number  of  ledges  have  been  under  devel- 
opment about  12  miles  above  the  town  of  Myrtle  Creek.  A prac- 
tically level  road  covers  this  distance.  The  veins  run  almost  parallel 
with  the  valley,  and  are  exposed  in  the  ravines  cutting  down  to  the 
flood  plain  of  the  stream.  The  tunnel  levels  are  run  at  but  a few  feet 
elevation  above  the  wagon  road. 

The  Continental  is  owned  by  Mr.  B.  W.  Stewart,  of  Portland. 
It  is  opened  by  400  feet  of  tunnel  which  exposes  a five-foot  vein 
carrying  values  in  gold  associated  with  iron  and  copper  sulphides. 
Some  ore  shipments  have  been  made  from  this  mine  with  satisfactory 
returns. 

The  Hall  mine  is  under  the  management  of  John  Hall,  of  Myrtle 
Creek.  It  has  200  feet  of  development.  Its  ores  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  Continental. 

The  Little  Chieftain  is  under  the  management  of  Mr.  C.  0.  White, 
of  Myrtle  Creek.  Five  hundred  feet  of  development  work  been  done 
upon  the  property,  and  six  cars  of  ore  have  been  shipped. 

The  Canvonville  District — The  area  comprised  within  this  district 
lies  between  Canvonville  and  Riddle.  A number  of  placers  are  in 
operation  each  season,  and  at  least  one  quartz  mine  is  active.  The 
minerals  of  the  district  other  than  gold  are  quite  varied  in  character, 
— copper,  chromite,  asbestos,  and  others  being  found,  but  so  far  not 
in  commercial  quantities. 

The  single  active  quartz  mine  of  the  district  is  the  Levens  Ledge 
mine,  which  is  the  property  of  Portland  people.  It  is  opened  by 
several  tunnels  upon  the  vein.  A five-stamp  mill  driven  by  gasoline 
power  is  in  operation.  J.  T.  Henwood  is  in  charge. 

Texas  Gulch  and  Coffee  Creek — Coffee  Creek  empties  into  the 


University  ol  Oregon  Bulletin 


69 


South  Umpqua  some  twenty  miles  east  of  Canyonville.  It,  together 
with  a small  tributary,  Texas  Gulch,  was  the  scene  of  sensational 
placer  mining  in  early  dajrs.  It  is  said  that  the  production  of  gold 
from  this  single  locality  ran  in  a short  time  into  the  tens  of*  millions, 
and  that  the  place  possessed  for  a while  all  of  the  characteristic 
features  of  a frontier  mining  camp.  The  place  is  practically  deserted 
now,  only  two  or  three  miners  being  at  work.  Many  attempts  have 
been  made  to  locate  the  ledge  from  which  the  gold  was  derived,  but 
all  have  failed. 

During  the  past  summer  a giant  was  installed  to  work  the 
gravels  upon  the  Umpqua  at  the  mouth  of  Coffee  Creek,  and  a three- 
mile  ditch  and  flume  was  built  to  supply  the  necessary  water. 

The  Drew  Creek  District — Elk  Creek  is  a tributary  of  the  South 
Umpqua  a few  miles  east  of  the  mouth  of  Coffee  Creek.  Flowing  into 
Elk  Creek  near  Drew  postoffice  is  the  stream  known  as  Drew  Creek 
upon  which  several  copper-gold  prospects  of  note  are  under  develop- 
ment. 

The  most  extensively  developed  of  these  is  the  Rainbow,  which 
has  received  about  2500  feet  of  work  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  H. 
Banfield.  This  gentleman,  in  addition  to  this  comparatively  large 
amount  of  admirably  executed  mining  work,  has  constructed  a 
number  of  buildings  upon  the  property,  and  several  miles  of  road 
into  the  camp.  It  is  his  purpose  to  install  a reduction  plant  in  the 
near  future. 

Four  miles  to  the  south  of  the  Rainbow  mine  is  the  Rowley 
property,  which  is  opened  by  about  300  feet  of  tunnel.  It  is  similar 
as  to  the  character  of  its  ores  to  the  Rainbow.  Mr.  A.  Rowley,  of 
Portland,  is  owner. 

The  Green  Mountain  District — Starveout  Creek  is  a tributary  of 
Cow  Creek  about  a dozen  miles  above  Glendale.  Upon  this  stream, 
and  in  other  places  adjacent  to  Green  Mountain,  a number  of  com- 
paratively unimportant  gold  producing  properties  are  to  be  found. 
At  least  one  extensive  placer  is  in  operation,  however,  but  no  direct 
information  has  been  obtained  concerning  it. 

Cow  Creek  Placers— A few  miles  below7  Glendale  Cow  Creek  Can- 
yon has  its  beginning  and  extends  for  30  miles  or  so  to  the  north. 
Upon  the  steep  sides  of  this  canyon  old  channels  are  occasionally  to 
be  found  and  frequently  may  be  worked  at  a profit.  The  only  exten- 
sive plant  among  these  is  that  of  the  A.  B.  C.  Mining  Co.,  which  is 
located  about  six  miles  from  Glendale.  It  operates  two  or  three 
giants,  and  controls  several  miles  of  ditch. 


70 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


GOLD  IN  SOUTHERN  OREGON 

The  territory  included  within  the  area  usually  designated  as 
“Southern  Oregon”  is  practically  that  defined  by  the  drainage  basin 
of  Rogue  River.  It  comprises  by  far  the  greater  portions  of  Jackson, 
Josephine,  and  Curry  counties,  and  is  covered,  at  least  in  its  parts 
which  are  productive  of  mineral  wealth,  by  an  old  range  of  moun- 
tains which  has  been  named  by  J.  S.  Diller,  of  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey,  the  “Klamath  Mountains,”  though  upon  the 
maps  these  are  known,  according  to  location,  as  the  Coast  Range 
Mountains,  the  Rogue  River  Mountains,  and  the  Siskiyou  Moun- 
tains. This  territory  includes  the  pioneer  mining  districts  of  Oregon, 
the  placers  upon  Jackson  and  Josephine  creeks  having  been  discov- 
ered and  worked  in  1852,  at  least  ten  years  earlier  than  the  placers 
of  Eastern  Oregon. 

From  that  date  until  the  present  time  placer  mining  has  contin- 
ued to  be  the  principal  form  of  the  mining  industry  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  For  the  reasons  set  forth  in  the  article  “The  Distribution  of 
Placer  Gold  in  Oregon,”  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Washburne,  printed  in  the 
earlier  pages  of  this  book,  it  may  be  seen  that  these  placer  deposits 
might  have  accumulated  even  in  the  absence  of  strong  vein  forma- 
tions. That  such  formations  do  exist,  however,  seems  at  the  present 
time  to  be  unquestionably  established.  The  utter  lack  of  adequately 
developed  properties  until  within  the  last  year  or  two  seems  to  have 
been  the  only  reason  for  the  idea  which  so  long  prevailed  that  only 
“pocket”  deposits  of  gold  existed.  The  fact  that  really  valuable 
quartz  deposits  have  remained  so  long  without  attention  is  largely 
the  result  of  peculiar  local  conditions. 

In  addition  to  the  gold  deposits  of  the  district,  commercially  im- 
portant deposits  of  copper  are  known  and  exploited.  The  main  cop- 
per localities  are  at  Waldo,  though  the  metal  is  found  upon  various 
tributaries  of  the  Illinois.  Just  across  the  California  line  extensive 
deposits  are  said  to  occur  which  may  in  time  become  important.  A 
California  corporation,  the  Waldo  Smelting  and  Mining  Co.,  was 
actively  engaged  last  year  in  developing  the  Waldo  deposits,  and 
under  another  name,  The  Oregon  and  Pacific  Railroad  Construction 
Co.,  was  promoting  a railroad  line  from  Grants  Pass  to  Eureka,  Cal- 
ifornia. The  completion  of  this  road  will  mean  much  to  the  mining 
and  timber  interests  of  this  region. 

Within  the  last  year  or  two  considerable  interest  has  been 
manifested  in  the  matter  of  saving  the  values  in  platinum  metals 
which  are  associated  with  the  gold  in  certain  of  the  placers.  These 
metals  are  said  to  occur  within  a belt  extending  from  the  Galiee 
placers  southwest  to  Waldo. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


71 


There  would  seem  to  be  an  excellent  field  in  Southern  Oregon  for 
dredging  operations,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  future  will  see  a 
notable  development  of  this  form  of  mining.  An  account  of  the 
present  status  of  this  industry  has  already  been  given. 

. The  Althouse  District 

The  Althouse  district  is  about  40  miles  southwest  of  Grants 
Pass  in  township  40  south,  range  7 west.  It  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
mining  camps  of  Oregon.  Its  important  mines  are  all  placers. 

Grass  Flat  Placer — Property  of  Geo.  Layman  and  Win,  Neil. 
Located  four  miles  southeast  of  Browntown. 

Kiphart  Placer — Located  seven  miles  from  Browntown.  Alex. 
Kiphart,  owner. 

McDowell  Placer — Five  miles  from  Browntown.  Property  of 
Ed.  McDowell. 

Martine  Placer—  Located  upon  the  right  fork  of  Althouse  Creek 
nine  miles  from  Browntown.  Chet  Martine,  proprietor. 

Althouse  Mining  Co. — This  property,  which  consists  of  600  acres 
of  ground,  is  located  on  the  Althouse  three  miles  from  Holland.  The 
gravels  are  25  feet  in  depth, — 15  feet  of  this  being  pay  dirt.  A six- 
mile  ditch  is  under  consideration  which  is  to  deliver  2000  inches  of 
water  under  a head  of  500  feet.  Robert  Brown,  superintendent. 

Dale  Hill  Placer— This  is  an  80-acre  property  located  one  mile 
from  Holland.  The  gravels  are  reported  to  be  from  25  to  30  feet  in 
depth  and  to  carry  pay  throughout.  Nine  miles  of  ditch  supply  two 
giants  under  a head  of  125  feet.  Six  men  are  employed.  T.  F. 
Rourke,  of  Portland,  manager. 

The  Applegate  Mining  Districts 

Applegate  Creek  and  its  tributaries  have  long  been  productive  of 
placer  gold,  and  in  a few  instances  quartz  properties  have  also  been 
exploited.  In  general  the  numerous  mineral  localities  of  the  Apple- 
gate  basin  have  taken  their  names  from  the  creeks  or  gulches  upon 
which  they  are  found.  In  the  discussions  which  follow,  the  various 
properties  will  be  grouped  according  to  their  occurrence  in  this  way, 
while  the  order  of  treatment  will  correspond  to  the  manner  in  which 
the  tributaries  enter, — proceeding  down-stream. 

STEAMBOAT  CREEK  MINES 

Steamboat  Creek  rises  in  Grayback  Mountain,  southern  Jose- 
phine County.  Placer  operations  have  been  inaugurated  recently  in 
at  least  two  new  places,  and  one  or  two  older  properties  have  again 


72 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


taken  up  development.  The  district  is  difficulty  accessible,  but  pros- 
pects are  said  to  be  good. 

Missouri  Mining  Co. — The  properties  of  this  company  lie  well  up 
toward  the  summit  of  Grayback  Mountain  upon  Steves  Fork  of 
Steamboat  Creek, — four  miles  of  the  bed  of  this  stream  being  included. 
The  gravels  are  said  to  have  a depth  of  15  feet  and  to  be  very  rich. 
An  abundant  supply  of  water  is  available.  A large  force  of  men  has 
been  at  work  during  the  past  year  getting  the  mine  into  shape  for  its 
initial  run  this  winter.  Owned  by  M.  0.  Warner  and  E.  0.  Smith,  of 
Eugene,  and  Messrs.  Wallace  and  Newkirk,  of  Portland. 

The  Oro  Grande — This  is  a companion  property  of  the  Missouri 
Mining  Co.  on  Steves  Fork  of  Steamboat  Creek.  Like  the  property 
just  mentioned  the  Oro  Grande  is  a new  one,  and  just  this  year  has 
J)een  equipped  for  work.  Its  500  acres  of  ground  is  reported  to  be 
fabulously  rich.  One  No.  3 giant  is  working  at  present,  but  two 
more  are  to  be  installed  in  the  near  future.  A double  shift  of  men  is 
at  work  night  and  day. 

STERLING  CREEK 

The  Sterling  Placers — Property  of  the  Sterling  Mining  Co.  Lo- 
cated on  Sterling  Creek,  a small  stream  flowing  south  into  the  North 
Fork  of  the  Applegate.  It  is  about  eight  miles  south  of  Jacksonville. 
Several  hundred  acres  of  ground  are  included  in  the  property,  the 
placer  portions  of  which  consist  of  a deep  red  clay-gravel  deposit. 
The  equipment  includes  a 25-tnile  ditch  carrying 2500  inches  of  water 
nine  months  of  the  year  and  supplying  it  at  a pressure  of  250  feet. 
Two  giants;  water  power  derrick  operated  by  a Pelton  wheel;  and 
other  accessories.  Henry  Ankeny,  of  Jacksonville  and  Vincent  Cook, 
of  Portland,  are  the  owners. 

THOMPSON  CREEK 

Maid  of  the  Mist — On  Thompson  Creek  the  Maid  of  the  Mist 
mine  is  being  developed  by  Messrs.  Thurston,  Clute,  Phelps,  and 
Clcland,  who  have  a bond  upon  the  property, — the  owners  being 
Messrs.  White,  Thurston,  and  others.  A fourteen  inch  vein  is  being 
developed  by  a shaft  and  tunnel  which  represent  some  500  feet  of 
work. 

WILLIAMS  CREEK 

Williams  Creek  is  in  eastern  Josephine  County  and  is  a southern 
tributary  of  the  Applegate.  The  district  formed  by  the  mines  which 
cluster  about  this  stream  and  its  branches  is  approximately  20  miles 
south  of  Grants  Pass,  and  in  townships  38  and  39,  range  5 west. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


73 


Layton  Hydraulic  Mines— Jack  Layton,  a pioneer  miner  of 
Southern  Oregon,  operates  two  placer  mines  in  the  Williams  district. 
One  lies  on  Bamboo  Gulch,  a tributary  of  Williams  Creek,  the  other 
upon  Farris  Gulch,  which  empties  directly  into  the  Applegate.  The 
properties  comprise  nearly  500  acres  in  all.  They  are  operated  with 
water  from  two  ditches  heading  in  Williams  Creek  and  aggregating 
35  miles  in  length.  A large  reservoir  is  an  adjunct  of  the  Farris 
Gulch  property. 

The  Eccentric — This  mine  is  situated  well  up  onHorsehead  Creek, 
a branch  of  Williams  Creek.  It  is  said  to  have  a fair  sized  vein  car- 
rying  good  values.  A long  development  tunnel  is  being  driven  at 
present  by  F.  H.  Osgood,  who  has  the  property  in  charge. 

Bone  of  Contention — Located  one  mile  from  Williams.  Three 
tunnels,  80  feet,  200  feet,  and  700  feet  long  respectively,  have  been 
run  upon  the  vein.  The  formation  is  reported  as  a contact  between 
a quartz  porphyry  and  diorite.  An  eight-stamp  mill  upon  the  prop- 
erty has  a capacity  of  15  to  20  tons  per  day.  Catterlin  and  Johnson, 
of  Portland,  are  owners. 


MAPLE  GULCH 

Lucky  Cuss — This  mine  is  located  upon  Maple  Gulch,  12  miles 
south  of  Grants  Pass.  Owned  by  the  Gold  Point  Mining  and  Mil- 
ling Co.,  but  bonded  and  under  development  by  W.  T.  Cope  and  F. 
W.  Chaussee,  of  Grants  Pass.  It  was  taken  up  recently  as  a worked 
out  mine,  but  in  the  two  tunnels  that  have  been  run  the  operators 
claim  to  have  uncovered  a ledge  of  good  ore. 

Golconda — Near  the  Lucky  Cuss  mine  is  the  Golconda,  which  is 
under  development  by  Ladd  and  Bourne,  of  Portland. 

OSCAR  CREEK 

The  Jewell  and  Moore  Placers — Located  on  Oscar  Creek,  a small 
northern  affluent  of  Applegate  Creek  ten  miles  southeast  of  Grants 
Pass.  The  property  is  noted  for  its  big  nuggets.  Water  not  plenti- 
ful. Equipment  is  a reservoir,  pipe,  and  one  giant.  L.  L.  Jewell  and 
Dr.  J.  S.  Moore,  of  Grants  Pass,  are  the  owners,  F.  M.  Hayes,  super- 
intendent. 

THE  MINES  OF  MISSOURI  FLAT 

Missouri  Flat  is  a mineral  locality  located  upon  the  north  side 
of  the  Applegate  opposite  the  mouth  of  Williams  Creek. 

The  Mountain  Lion — A ledge  of  good  width  has  been  extensively 
developed  at  this  property.  A five-stamp  mill  and  Woodbury  con- 


74 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


centrator  are  in  use.  Owned  by  Jewell,  Harmon,  and  Bailey  Bros., 
Grants  Pass. 


THE  MINES  OF  SLATE  CREEK 

Slate  Creek  flows  into  the  Applegate  from  the  west  in  the  vicinity 
of  Wilderville,  township  37,  range  7 west.  The  ores  found  in  this 
place  are  mostly  base,  copper  values  figuring  prominently  in  the 
assays.  A number  of  locations  have  been  made,  but  no  extensive 
development  has  been  done. 

Ramsey  and  Ingram — This  property,  which  has  been  bonded  by 
Samuel  Bowden,  is  said  to  have  a ledge  100  feet  wide  and  1600  feet 
long. 

Copper  Eagle—].  C.  Mattison  is  in  charge  of  this  property  and 
is  doing  development  work. 

THE  ASHLAND  DISTRICT 

The  Ashland  mining  district  includes  the  Bear  Creek  basin  south 
of  Medford,  Jackson  County.  The  principal  mines  are  on  Ashland 
and  Wagner  Creeks. 

Shorty-Hope — Three  miles  northwest  of  Ashland  on  Wagner 
Creek  are  the  six  claims  of  this  company.  Nearly  2000  feet  of 
tunnels,  shafts,  and  other  workings  have  demonstrated  the  extent  of 
the  ore  body,  which  is  said  to  be  composed  of  bluish  quartz  with 
values  both  free  and  base.  Water  taken  through  a mile  and  a quarter 
ditch  from  Wagner  Creek  gives  power  for  operating  the  ten-stamp 
mill  on  the  property.  The  Shorty-Hope  Mining  and  Milling  Co., 
Ashland,  owns  the  mine  and  is  pushing  development. 

Whale  Ledge — The  Whale  Ledge  is  upon  Wagner  Butte  near 
Ashland.  It  is  being  developed  by  the  Western  Star  Gold  Mining  and 
and  Milling  Co.,  which  has  developed  a strong  ledge  said  to  carry 
good  values. 

Ashland — Thisis  a splendidly  equipped  property  located  two  miles 
west  of  Ashland.  It  has  a ten-stamp  mill,  hoist,  and  other  adjuncts. 
The  depth  attained  in  some  thousands  of  feet  of  workings  is  900 
feet.  It  has  not  been  worked  during  the  past  year. 

Barron — The  property  of  Barron  Bros.,  and  located  nine  miles 
southeast  of  Ashland.  Sufficient  development  has  been  done  to 
disclose  a large  body  of  ore,  though  nothing  of  note  has  been 
reported  from  the  mine  during  the  past  year. 

Oregon  Mining  Co. — This  company  has  acquired  water  rights  on 
Wagner  Creek  five  miles  west  of  Ashland,  and  is  installing  anew  five- 
stamp  mill  to  reduce  the  ores  from  a group  of  seven  claims. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 
Briggs  Creek  District 


75 


Briggs  Creek  has  its  source  in  the  watershed  dividing  the 
Rogue  from  the  Illinois,  and  empties  into  the  latter  in  township  37, 
range  9 west.  It  is  distant  from  Grants  Pass  about  30  miles.  The 
properties  in  operation  are  mostly  placer  mines.  Interesting  copper 
deposits,  especially  upon  Butcher  Knife  Creek,  have  been  reported. 

Connor  Placers — One  hundred  acres  are  included  in  this  property, 
— the  land  lying  in  the  bed  of  Red  Dog  Creek.  Water  is  obtained  by 
means  of  a ditch  one  mile  in  length  which  delivers  2000  inches  with 
a head  of  150  feet.  Two  giants  are  in  use.  J.  A.  Connor,  of  Grants 
Pass,  is  owner. 

Old  Famous  Placers — One  hundred  acres  of  ground  adjacent  to 
Briggs  Creek  is  included  in  this  property.  Two  ditches,  one  mile  and 
three-fourths  of  a mile  in  length  respectively,  supply  2000  inches  of 
water  at  a pressure  of  150  feet.  One  No.  1 giant.  The  gold  varies 
from  fine  to  nuggets  weighing  an  ounce.  Kerchoff  and  Preston,  of 
Grants  Pass,  owners. 

Bain  Placers — Two  ditches  supply  2000  inches  of  water  at  a 
pressure  of  80  feet.  J.  T.  Bain,  of  Grants  Pass,  superintendent. 

Miller  Placer — One  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  placer  ground 
belongs  to  this  property.  The  water  supply  consists  of  2500  inches 
which  is  brought  through  one  and  one  half-miles  of  ditch  and  sup- 
plied at  a pressure  of  150  feet.  One  No.  2 giant,  and  1000  feet  of 
hydraulic  pipe.  R.  F.  Miller,  Grants  Pass. 

Barr  Placer—  One  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  ground  is  worked 
by  means  of  water  brought  through  a three-fourths  mile  ditch  and 
used  at  100  feet  pressure.  One  No.  2 giant  and  1000  feet  of  pipe. 
John  Barr,  proprietor. 

Eureka— Upon  Soldier  Creek,  in  the  Briggs  Creek  neighborhood, 
is  the  Eureka  mine,  one  of  the  best  producers  at  the  present  time  in 
this  part  of  the  state.  The  vein  maintains  a width  of  from  six  to 
fourteen  feet,  and  carries  good  values.  A ten-stamp  mill  is  in  opera- 
tion. In  charge  of  A.  F.  Nelson,  Selma. 

The  Galice  District 

Galice  Creek  is  a tributary  of  the  Rogue  flowing  into  the  latter 
from  the  west  in  township  34,  range  7 west.  The  district  is  approx- 
imately 25  miles  from  Grants  Pass.  Its  placer  mines  have  been 
worked  for  many  years,  aud  are  estimated  to  have  yielded  twelve 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


76 

million  dollars.  It  is  only  during  the  past  year  that  a road  has  been 
opened  into  the  district. 

The  Galice  Consolidated  Mines  Co. — In  September  a consolida- 
tion was  effected  whereby  the  Galice  Hydraulic  Mines  Co.  and 
the  St.  Helens  and  Galice  Mining  Co.  came  under  one  management 
and  assumed  the  above  name.  The  holdings  of  the  company  include 
some  six  hundred  acres  of  placer  ground.  The  equipment  includes 
10  miles  of  ditch  and  one  and  one-half  miles  of  pipe  line,  yielding,  in 
conjunction  with  a system  of  reservoirs,  a water  supply  lasting  ten 
months.  New  quarters  for  the  men  have  been  constructed,  the  races 
have  been  deepened,  and  many  other  improvements  have  been  made. 
A.  B.  Cousins,  of  Portland,  is  manager. 

The  Old  Channel  Placers — This  is  another  of  the  old  placers  of 
the  district.  It  is  equipped  with  two  giants  operating  under  a high 
pressure  with  a good  supply  of  water.  Twelve  to  fifteen  men 
employed.  Mr.  J.  R.  Harvey  is  manager. 

Harmon  ahd  Green  Placers — This  property  is  owned  by  T.  K.  • 
Anderson.  It  is  equipped  with  three  miles  of  ditch  which  supplies 
6000  inches  of  water  under  a head  of  150  feet.  Two  giants,  one  No.  2 
and  one  No.  3,  are  in  use.  Gold  is  heavy.  The  gravel  banks  are  60 
feet  high. 

Lost  Flat — Five  quartz  claims  are  included  within  this  property. 
Ore  is  float  quartz  carrying  high  values,  which  are  recovered  by  the 
use  of  an  arrastra.  Work  is  now  in  progress  by  which  it  is  hoped  to 
discover  the  ledge  from  which  this  material  came.  Wm.  and  Chas. 
Crow  are  owners. 

Reeves  and  Williams — Located  two  miles  from  Galice.  The  ore  is 
said  to  carry  workable  quantities  of  gold  and  copper.  Development 
slight. 

Savage  and  Son — Located  upon  the  Rogue  four  miles  below 
Galice.  A two-foot  ledge  of  free  milling  gold  ore  has  been  opened. 
Five  claims  are  in  the  group. 

Golden  Wedge — This  property  is  located  on  Rogue  River  four 
miles  below  Galice.  It  is  of  interest  from  the  fact  that  the  surface 
float  from  the  vein  has  been  worked  for  years  in  a primitive  way 
with  good  returns.  It  was  purchased  in  the  fall  by  Thien  Bros.,  of 
Seattle,  who  are  operating  the  two-stamp  mill  and  making  further 
developments. 

BIG  YANK  LEDGE 

Striking  across  the  Rogue  three  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Galice 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


77 


Creek  is  a contact  ledge  which  has  long  attracted  attention  for  its 
remarkable  size.  The  “Big  Yank,”  as  it  is  called,  is  said  to  be  from 
25  to  250  feet  wide,  and  to  extend  for  12  miles  across  the  country. 
Values  in  copper,  gold  and  silver  are  carried  in  a bluish  quartz  heav- 
ily impregnated  with  pyrite.  Gold  and  silver  assays  are  reported  at 
from  two  dollars  to  thirty-six  dollars  per  ton;  a small  percentage  of 
copper  is  present.  A similar  ledge  known  as  the  Big  Chieftain  is  said 
to  run  parallel  to  the  Big  Yank  about  a mile  to  the  west. 

Almeda — Four  claims  upon  the  Yank  ledge  are  developed  by  the 
Almeda  Mining  Co.,  J.  F.  Wickham,  of  Portland,  manager.  Two 
tunnels,  350  and  200  feet  long  respectively,  and  a crosscut  of  70  feet 
constitute  the  work  done  so  far.  One  hundred  feet  of  solid  ore  is 
reported,  which  is  said  to  carry  four  to  six  dollars  in  gold  and  silver, 
and  six  per  cent  of  copper.  It  is  reported  that  a 100-ton  smelter  has 
been  ordered. 

The  Yank  Group — The  Yank  Group  consists  of  five  quartz  claims 
and  sufficient  placer  ground  to  make  500  acres  in  all.  It  is  located 
upon  the  Big  Yank  ledge  across  the  river  from  the  Almeda,  and  is 
being  opened  up  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  W.  F.  Cope.  The  placers 
are  equipped  with  three  miles  of  ditch  and  two  No.  2 giants  working 
under  500  feet  head.  The  ledge  is  opened  by  600  feet  of  workings. 

Gold  Hill  District 

The  town  of  Gold  Hill  is  situated  upon  the  Rogue  River  in  town- 
ship 36,  range  3 west.  A number  of  streams  and  gulches  enter  the 
river  valley  in  this  vicinity  both  from  the  north  and  from  the  south. 
It  is  upon  these  streams,  for  the  greater  part,  that  the  mines  of  the 
district  are  located,  and  it  is  convenient  to  classify  them  for  descrip- 
tive purposes  according  to  their  occurrence  upon  one  creek  or  another. 
Of  the  streams  coming  in  from  the  north  Evans  Creek  is  the  farthest 
west,  emptying  into  the  Rogue  at  Woodville.  Next  to  the  east  is 
Wards  Creek,  which  is  followed  in  order  by  Sardine  Creek,  and  Water 
Gulch,  the  last  being  east  of  Gold  Hill.  On  the  south,  and  in  order 
from  the  west,  are  to  be  found  Foots  Creek,  Galls  Creek  and  Kanes 
Creek.  Kanes  Creek  empties  just  opposite  Gold  Hill,  and  it  is  in  the 
territory  immediately  east  of  it  that  the  Blackwell  district  is  located. 
All  of  these  streams  have  yielded  largely  in  placer  gold,  and  are  still 
productive.  Foots  Creek  is  said  to  have  a flood  plain  two  miles 
wide  by  six  long,  the  gravels  of  which  prospect  fifty  cents  a yard  in 
gold.  It  is  to  be  the  scene  of  extensive  dredgingoperations  this  year. 

An  enterprise  that  means  much  to  the  vicinity  of  Gold  Hill  is  the 
one  undertaken  at  Tolo  by  Dr.  C.  R.  Ray,  representing  the  Condor 


78 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


Water  and  Power  Co.  A dam  has  been  constructed  across  the 
Rogue  at  this  point  with  the  object  of  securing  power  for  all  pur- 
poses and  water  for  placer  work  and  irrigation.  A 20-foot  fall  is 
available,  which  it  is  calculated  will  yield  10,000  horse  power.  The 
initial  installation  consists  of  two  700-horse-power  turbines  and  one 
250-kilowatt  generator.  The  power  immediately  available  will  first 
of  all  be  used  in  the  development  and  working  of  the  mining  interests 
which  the  Condor  company  controls  in  the  vicinity. 

Another  enterprise  has  been  revived  after  some  years  of  dormancy 
which  will  be  of  great  significance  when  completed.  The  High  Line 
Ditch,  having  its  proposed  terminus  at  Gold  Hill,  will  take  its  waters 
from  the  Rogue  four  miles  above  Prospect,  making  the  total  length  of 
the  conduit  123  miles.  Surveys  have  been  made  and  considerable 
work  has  been  done.  A head  of  400  feet  will  be  available  at  Gold 
Hill,  which,  with  the  great  capacity  of  the  ditch  as  proposed,  will 
give  large  facilities  in  the  way  of  power,  lumber  transportation,  and 
placer  and  irrigation  operations. 

EVANS  CREEK 

Homestake — This  mine  is  located  one  mile  west  of  Woodville  near 
the  mouth  of  Evans  Creek.  It  has  been  worked  for  18  years  by  vari- 
ous persons,  but  is  under  bond  at  present  to  Eastern  capitalists  with 
J.  R.  Cunningham  in  charge.  Development  consists  of  340  feet  of 
main  tunnel  and  a winze  75  feet  deep.  The  ledge  is  said  to  be  20 
inches  wide  with  walls  of  dolomite.  The  ore  is  complex,  iron  sul- 
phides, galena,  and  arsenopyrite  being  the  main  minerals. 

WARDS  CREEK 

Olsen  Placers — Water  is  supplied  at  a head  of  140  feet  through 
one  and  one-half  miles  of  ditch. 

Golden  Chloride— A ledge  four  and  one-half  feet  wide  has  been 
opened  upon  this  property  by  a 125-foot  tunnel. 

SARDINE  CREEK 

Several  placers  are  situated  upon  this  creek,  all  of  which  are 
equipped  for  work  with  water  supplied  through  ditches  from  one  to 
two  miles  in  length,  and  delivered  at  about  100-foot  pressure.  The 
ones  that  have  come  to  notice  are  the  Dusenbury,  Smith,  Ketchum, 
and  White  placers. 

Lucky  Bart  Group — Six  claims  are  held  in  this  group.  Develop- 
ment consists  of  a tunnel  700  feet  in  length.  A five-stamp  mill  is 
upon  the  property. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


79 


Hinkle — A five-foot  ledge  upon  this  claim  has  been  opened  bj  a 
tunnel  350  feet  long.  A two-stamp  mill  reduces  the  ore. 

Carter— This  property  is  developed  by  a tunnel  250  feet  in  length 
and  by  a shaft  100  feet  deep. 

Miller,  Reed  and  Owens — Developed  by  100  feet  of  tunnels  and  a 
30-foot  shaft.  An  18-inch  vein  of  free  milling  ore  is  exposed,  for  the 
reduction  of  which  a five-stamp  mill  is  in  operation. 

WATER  GULCH 

Hayes  Placer — Five  miles  of  ditch  supplies  water  at  125-foot 
pressure  for  operations  at  this  mine. 

Hebert — A 40-foot  shaft  has  been  sunk  at  this  property  upon  a 
ledge  said  to  be  19  feet  wide. 

Shook — The  ledge  is  reported  to  be  four  and  one-half  feet  wide  at 
this  mine.  It  is  explored  by  140  feet  of  tunnels. 

Three  Sisters — One  hundred  feet  of  tunnel  work  is  the  amount  of 
development  accredited  to  this  mine. 

White  Horse — A four-foot  vein  at  this  property  has  been  opened 
by  a tunnel  350  feet  in  length. 

FOOTS  CREEK 

Champlin  Dredging  Co. — A full  account  of  the  equipment  of  this 
company,  together  with  details  of  proposed  operations,  has  been 
given  on  page  22. 


GALLS  CREEK 

Duncan  and  Anderson — Opened  by  a 60-foot  shaft. 

Omah — The  Omah  Gold  Mining  and  Milling  Co.,  J.  E.  Kerr  and 
associates.  Three  short  tunnels  have  been  driven,  the  lower  of  which 
is  in  268  feet.  The  ledge  is  three  to  four  feet  wide, — walls  are  lime 
and  porphyry. 

Quartz  Mountain — The  Quartz  Mountain  Consolidated  Gold 
Mining  Co.,  J.  E.  Kerr  and]  others.  Three  shorL’tunnels  constitute 
development. 

Bill  Nye — Developed  b}r  a shaft  80  feet  deep’ and  several  tunnels. 
The  equipment  includes  a hoist,  pumps,  and  a five-stamp  mill,  all  of 
which  are  newly  installed..  Major  D.  R.  Andrus  is  manager. 

Kubli — Located  opposite  the  Bill  Nye.  A 400-foot  tunnel  gives 
access  to  the  ore  bodies,  which  are  said  to  be  in  three  parallel  veins. 
Twelve  claims  are  in  the  group.  A two-stamp  mill  is  in  operation. 


80  University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 

Last  Chance— Two  hundred  feet  of  tunnel  work  has  been  done  at 
this  mine. 

Red  Oak — Development  is  similar  to  that  at  the  Last  Chance. 

Tin  Pan— Two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  tunnel  work  opens  the 
six-foot  vein. 

Burns  and  Duffield — One  and  one-half  miles  of  ditch  delivers  water 
at  a head  of  150  feet. 


KANES  CREEK 

Braden — This  property  is  two  miles  from  Gold  Hill.  It  comprises 
both  quartz  and  placer  claims  to  the  extent  of  800  acres.  Five 
parallel  veins  are  said  to  exist.  Three  thousand  feet  of  tunnel  work 
develops  the  ore  deposit,  and  a ten-stamp  mill  is  in  operation.  The 
crushing  plant  will  soon  be  increased  to  twenty  stamps,  however, 
and  other  improvements  made.  Owned  by  the  Condor  Water  and 
Power  Co.,  Dr.  C.  R.  Ray,  manager. 

Roaring  Gimlet — This  consists  of  a group  of  three  claims  dcvcl 
oped  by  a 100  foot  shaft.  A gasoline  hoist  and  pump  are  part  of  the 
equipment.  The  pay-streak  is  two  feet  wide.  The  mine  has  been  a 
good  producer. 

Alice — Six  hundred  feet  of  development  has  been  done  exposing 
14  feet  of  low  grade  ore. 

Carr—  A 100-foot  shaft  has  been  sunk  upon  the  three-foot  vein  of 
this  property. 

Mabelle — A 300-foot  tunnel  opens  the  four-foot  ledge  at  this  mine. 
A roll  mill  of  30  tons  capacity  is  in  service. 

McDougal  Placer — Six  miles  of  ditch  brings  water  at  a 300-foot 
head  for  operations  at  this  mine. 

BLACKWELL  DISTRICT 

McDonough — Developed  by  350  feet  of  tunnel  which  indicates  a 
four-foot  vein. 

Yellow  Jacket — A three-foot  vein  has  been  proved  upon  this 
property  by  350  feet  of  tunnel. 

Bowden — This  mine  is  an  old  “shipper”  which  recently  changed 
hands  and  has  since  that  time  been  undergoing  farther  development. 
It  is  opened  by  a shaft  now  down  140  feet.  The  vein  is  two  and  one- 
half  feet  in  width.  A steam  hoist  and  a five-stamp  mill  are  features 
of  the  equipment. 


OI.D  CHANNEL  PLACER,  GALICE  DISTRICT  . 

GOLDEN  DRIFT  MINE,  “ DRY  DIGGINGS,”  GRANTS  PASS  DISTRICT. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


81 


Johnson — Development  upon  this  property  amounts  to  300  feet 
of  tunnel  work.  A four-foot  ledge  is  defined. 

Blackwell— Twelve  claims  are  included  in  this  property.  A four- 
foot  ledge  is  opened  by  a 60-foot  shaft. 

Graham  and  Braden— A three-foot  vein  of  excellent  ore  is  opened 
upon  this  claim  by  a 200-foot  shaft. 

Nellie  Wright — The  width  of  the  ledge  upon  the  Nellie  Wright  is 
reported  as  five  feet.  A shaft  60  feet  deep  opens  it. 

Tolo — This  property  adjoins  the  Blackwell  on  the  north.  The 
group  consists  of  six  claims.  A steam  hoist  and  power  drills  are 
parts  of  the  equipment.  The  Condor  Water  and  Power  Co.,  owner. 

JACKSON  CREEK 

Opp — The  Opp  mine  is  located  near  Jacksonville.  It  is  an  old 
property  which  has  recently  been  taken  over  by  an  eastern  company. 
A large  stamp  mill  is  promised  for  the  near  future. 

Cement  Placers — Located  upon  Jackson  Creek.  A No.  1 giant  is 
in  use.  Thos.  Williams,  owner. 

FORREST  CREEK 

Oregon  Belle — This  group  consists  of  14  claims  owned  by  the 
New  York  and  Western  Mines  Co.,  of  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  Foster  and 
Gunnell,  of  Grants  Pass,  local  representatives.  The  vein  is  upon  a 
contact  between  porphyry  and  slate,  and  is  from  twenty  inches  to 
three  feet  in  width.  An  ore  shoot  200  feet  long  has  been  developed 
which  is  being  tapped  by  a tunnel  to  be  1500  feet  long  when 
completed,  and  which  will  give  a depth  of  350  feet.  A 42-inch  Hunt- 
ington mill  is  in  operation. 

Sturgis  Placers — This  property  includes  nearly  1400  acres,  a 
large  proportion  of  which  is  workable  old  channel  ground.  The 
mine  was  sold  in  December  to  A.  Vance,  of  Los  Angeles,  for  $25,000 
and  re-equipped.  Three  ditches  give  excellent  water  facilities;  a don- 
key engine  and  derrick  are  used  to  handle  boulders;  two  No.  3 giants 
are  working  night  and  day, — an  electric  lighting  plant  being  in  use 
for  the  night  work.  W.  R.  Olmstead  is  in  charge. 

Coffman  Placers — Four  hundred  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  Stur- 
gis Placer  is  included  in  this  property.  A mile  and  a half  of  flume 
was  put  in  in  1903,  and  water  sufficient  for  the  operation  of  three 
giants  secured.  E.  A.  Spaulding,  of  Tacoma,  owner.  L.  C.  Crippcn, 
of  Medford,  manager. 


82 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Antonio  Placer — One  No.  1 giant  is  operated  upon  this  property 
at  a pressure  of  210  feet.  Dumping  facilities  are  excellent.  Robert 
McGill  is  manager. 


Grants  Pass  District 

The  Golden  Drift  Dam— Three  miles  above  Grants  Pass  a dam  is 
being  built  across  the  Rogue  by  the  Golden  Drift  Mining  Co.  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  both  water  and  power.  Sixteen  46-inch  tur- 
bines are  to  be  used  under  a head  of  20  feet  for  working  the  mining 
properties  of  the  company  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  while  an  instal- 
lation equally  large  will  supply  power  for  outside  consumers.  Ten 
thousand  horse  power  will  be  developed  in  all.  Four  18-inch  five- 
step  compound  centrifugal  pumps  will  supply  water  for  placer  work 
at  the  Dry  Diggings.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  company  to  construct 
one  canal  upon  the  south  side  of  the  river  and  two  upon  the  north, 
making  a large  area  of  arid  land  availableforcultivation.  The  enter- 
prise is  being  carried  out  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  M.  C.  Ament. 

The  Dry  Diggings  Mine— The  Golden  Drift  Mining  Co.  owns  a 
large  area  of  placer  ground  extending  back  from  its  dam  into  the 
foothills.  Included  in  its  holdings  is  the  well  known  Dry  Diggings 
locality  comprising  about  1000  acres,  and  long  famous  for  its  big 
nuggets.  But  a small  amount  of  water  is  available  for  working  the 
ground,  however,  and  it  was  primarily  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
this  very  necessary  adjunct  to  placer  operations  that  the  big  dam 
was  conceived. 

Dowell  Mine — The  Comstock  Mining  and  Milling  Co.  is  working 
this  property  at  present.  It  is  located  three  miles  east  ol  Grants 
Pass  upon  Mt.  Baldy.  A shaft  is  being  sunk  which  is  now  down  60 
feet,  and  a crosscut  is  being  run  to  reach  the  granite  contact  upon 
the  west.  The  vein  is  from  three  to  five  feet  in  width;  ore  is  mainly 
base,  yielding,  however,  some  free  gold.  A hoist  is  in  course  of  con- 
struction. The  company  developing  the  property  is  a close  corpora- 
tion of  which  Chas.  F.  Crow  is  president,  and  J.  Monroe  Layman  is 
manager. 

May  Queen — This  group  is  also  located  upon  Mt.  Baldy  and  is 
•being  developed  under  the  supervision  of  A.  A.  Cameron.  A five-foot 
vein  carrying  base  ore  is  reported. 

Jewett — Located  three  miles  southeast  of  Grants  Pass.  Property 
of  Benjamin  Healey,  of  San  Francisco.  No  details. 

Owl  Gulch — The  location  of  this  property  is  seven  miles  east  of 
Grants  Pass.  A ledge  one  foot  in  width  has  been  opened  by  a tunnel 
110  feet  long.  Shaska  and  Robinson,  owners. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 
Grave  Creek  District 


83 


Grave  Creek  rises  in  township  34,  range  4 west,  and  flows  almost 
directly  west  for  25  miles  to  the  Rogue.  It  receives  in  its  course  a 
large  number  of  small  creeks  and  gulches  both  from  the  north  and 
from  the*  south,  all  of  which  contain  more  or  less  placer  gold,  though 
ledges  are  found  only  at  the  head  of  the  main  stream.  The  only 
large  tributary  is  Wolf  Creek,  which  flows  by  the  side  of  the  railroad 
for  a half  dozen  miles  north  of  Leland,  to  empty  into  Grave  Creek 
near  that  place.  Coyote  Creek  is  an  affluent  of  Wolf  Creek.  In  the 
discussion  that  follows  the  streams  will  be  taken  up  in  the  order  of  their 
occurrence  proceeding  up  stream  from  Rogue  River. 

Harris  Flat — Located  upon  Rock  Creek.  Five  miles  of  ditch 
brings  water  at  a head  of  125  feet. 

Blaisdell — A high  bar  upon  McNair  Flat  is  under  development  by 
means  of  tunnels.  Six  hundred  acres  of  ground. 

Vindicator — One  giant  under  300  feet  head  is  at  work  at  this 
property.  Located  at  the  junction  of  Wolf  and  Grave  Creeks.  W. 
M.  Gearhart,  manager. 

Archer — Located  opposite  the  Vindicator.  A nine-mile  ditch  sup- 
plies one  giant  at  a pressure  of  125  feet.  G.  B.  Archer,  owner. 

Steam  Beer — This  mine  is  located  across  Wolf  Creek  from  the 
Vindicator.  One  giant  is  in  service  which  is  supplied  with  water  at 
200  feet  pressure  from  a ditch  nine  miles  in  length. 

Lower  Lewis — Located  near  Leland.  Two  five-inch  giants 
operate  under  a head  of  85  feet.  Good  buildings  have  been  erected 
for  the  use  of  the  workmen.  E.  A.  Parlin,  superintendent. 

Upper  Lewis — This  property,  also  known  as  the  Goff  mine,  is 
located  one  mile  above  Leland.  Two  No.  3 giants  are  in  use.  Water 
under  a head  of  240  feet  is  supplied  by  17  miles  of  ditch.  J.  C.  Lewis, 
owner. 

Browning—  Located  opposite  the  town  of  Placer.  Ground  sluic- 
ing property.  D.  L.  Browning,  owner. 

Taylor  and  Kremer — A three-foot  ledge  has  been  opened  at  this 
mine  by  three  tunnels  which  give  a depth  of  150  feet.  It  is  located 
one  mile  above  the  Greenback  mine. 

Vulcan — Located  one-half  trile  from  the  Greenback  mine.  A drift 
245  feet  in  length  has  been  run  upon  the  vein,  two  upraises  have 
been  made,  and  considerable  ore  has  been  stoped.  A modern  three- 
stamp  Merralls  mill  is  now  being  installed  together  with  a Wilfley 


84 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


table.  This  mill  is  to  be  driven  by  a 52-inch  Pelton  wheel  operating 
under  a 45-foot  pressure.  F.  Clements,  owner. 

Greenback— This  mine  is  located  just  above  the  Columbia  placers. 
It  is  eight  miles  from  Leland,  and  twenty  miles  in  air  line  north  of 
Grants  Pass.  It  was  discovered  in  1897,  equipped  with  five  stamps 
in  1898,  five  more  in  1899,  and  another  five  in  1900.  This  plant  is 
located  at  an  adit  to  the  fifth  level,  and  ten  stamps  of  it  are  still 
operating  upon  ores  stoped  above  it.  Early  in  1903  a new  mill  was 
completed  at  the  mouth  of  the  ninth  level  on  Tom  East  Creek.  It  is 
equipped  with  30  stamps,  four  Wilfley  tables,  and  a cyanide  plant  for 
tailings.  Power  is  furnished  by  two  nine-foot  Risdon  wheels  under  a 
head  of  400  feet.  A steam  power  plant  is  available  for  the  months 
during  which  water  is  scarce.  The  mining  equipment  includes  a ten- 
drill  compressor,  hoist  operating  between  the  third  and  fifth  levels, 
and  an  electric  light  plant.  The  ore  occurs  in  a well  defined  vein 
which  is  said  to  be  but  one  of  nine  parallel  veins  to  be  found  within 
a distance  of  1200  feet.  Eight  thousand  feet  of  development  work 
has  been  done.  One  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  are  employed. 
The  Greenback  vein  is  supposed  to  be  the  richest  although  not  the 
widest.  Values  are  85  per  cent  free.  Mr.  C.  W.  Thompson  is  man- 
ager. Owned  by  the  Greenback  Gold  Mining  Co.,  an  eastern  corpora- 
tion. 

Columbia  Placers — Located  upon  Tom  East  Creek  adjoining  the 
Greenback  mine.  Two  miles  of  Tom  East  Creek  is  included  within 
this  property,  enough  virgin  ground  being  available  to  last  for  many 
years.  The  property  is  a thoroughly  modern  one,  having  21  miles 
of  ditches  which  give  5500  miners  inches  of  water  at  a head  of  250 
feet;  four  giants  with  five-inch  nozzles;  5000  feet  of  pipe;  two  lines  of 
sluices,  one  350  feet  long  and  the  other  1100  feet  long;  and  other 
hydraulic  accessories.  An  average  of  1800  cubic  yards  of  material  is 
moved  each  24  hours.  Allen  and  Lewis,  Portland,  owners;  Frank 
Ross,  superintendent. 

Morning  Star  Mine — Located  one-quarter  mile  southeast  of 
Placer.  C.  F.  Howe,  owner.  Development  work  has  exposed  a 
three-foot  ledge. 

Auten — Location,  six  miles  northeast  of  Placer.  The  ores  are 
treated  in  an  arrastra.  Auten  and  Bogue,  owners. 

St.  Peter  Group — Located  one  mile  north  of  Greenback.  Willard 
Young,  the  owner,  has  opened  a two-foot  ledge  by  tunneling. 

Yellow  Horn  and  St.  Elmo — Opened  by  400  feet  of  work  in  tun- 
nels and  shafts.  Considerable  ore  has  been  milled  from  surface  work- 
ings at  the  Vulcan  mill.  R.  E.  Brom,  owner. 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 
Mines  of  Wolf  and  Coyote  Creeks 


85 


At  the  station  of  Wolf  Creek  upon  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad 
Wolf  Creek  receives  its  principal  tributary,  Coyote  Creek.  A number 
of  mines,  both  placer  and  quartz,  are  to  be  found  upon  the  head- 
waters of  each  stream. 

Scribner  and  Henderson — Located  upon  Wolf  Creek.  A great 
porphyry  dike  100  feet  in  width  is  reported,  which  carries  high 
values  in  free  milling  ore.  The  deposit  is  one  of  considerable  promise, 
though  it  is  worked  as  yet  only  by  two  arrastras.  It  is  operated  by 
Joseph  Dysert. 

Olympia — This  property  is  developed  by  two  tunnels  upon  the 
vein  70  and  90  feet  long  respectively,  and  by  surface  cuts  exposing 
the  ledge  for  400  feet.  The  shoot  is  eight  to  sixteen  inches  wide,  and 
carries  both  free  gold  and  sulphides.  J.  B.  and  E.  F.  Hannum  are 
owners. 

Old  Vet — A 13-foot  ledge  upon  a serpentine-porphyry  contact  is 
reported  at  this  mine.  Base  ore  predominates.  A crosscut  is  being 
driven  to  tap  the  vein.  Coburn  and  Finch,  Grants  Pass,  owners. 

Hardscrabble — An  extension  of  the  Old  Vet.  Two  claims  are 
comprised  in  the  group.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  working  tun- 
nels and  shafts  expose  an  ore  body  two  to  four  feet  wide  carrying 
both  free  and  base  ore. 

Lehman  Placer—  Consists  of  six  claims,  which,  for  lack  of  water 
and  dumping  facilities,  are  exploited  by  drifting  upon  bed  rock. 
Six  hundred  feet  of  drifting  has  been  done.  A.  D.  and  D.  Lehman. 

Ruble  Placer — This  mine  extends  for  some  four  miles  along  the 
bed  of  Coyote  Creek  and  comprises  about  240  acres.  It  is  equipped 
with  three  giants,  6000  feet  of  pipe,  eight  miles  of  ditch,  and  two  Ruble 
grizzly  elevators  which  are  10  feet  wide,  40  feet  long,  and  six  feet 
high.  Water  right  for  seven  months.  S.  Ruble,  owner. 

Blalock  and  Howe — Located  upon  Coyote  Creek  six  miles  from 
Wolf  Creek  station.  A sensational  strike  was  made  upon  this 
property  during  the  fall  just  past,  though  considerable  gold  has  been 
taken  out  for  several  years.  The  drift  upon  the  property  is  in  only  fifty 
feet,  and  at  present  shows  sulphides  upon  the  face.  The  ledge  is  said 
to  be  in  line  with  the  Greenback  vein  one  and  one-fourth  miles  to  the 
southwest.  Vein  materials  are  quartz  with  some  calcite  and  barite. 
A two-stamp  mill  is  in  use  at  present. 

Thompson  Group — This  property  is  being  developed  by  the  New 


86 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


York  and  Western  Mines  Co.,  Foster  and  Gunnell,  Grants  Pass,  local 
representatives.  The  vein  is  said  to  be  eight  feet  wide. 

Sluter  Mine — Seven  miles  northeast  of  Wolf  Creek.  The  ledge  is 
said  to  be  well  defined,  and  carries  iron  and  copper  sulphides  together 
with  free  gold. 

Wolf  Creek  Mining  and  Development  Co. — Both  placer  and 
quartz  propositions  are  in  course  of  development  by  this  company. 
Placer  operations  are  being  carried  on  at  different  places  for  a 
distance  of  six  miles  upon  the  creek,  while  at  the  quartz  mine  an  ore 
body  seven  feet  wide  is  exposed  which  is  increasing  in  width  with 
depth.  M.  B.  Bosworth,  of  Portland,  manager. 

Anaconda — Located  one  mile  from  Golden.  John  D.  Wilcox, 
Portland,  owner. 

Jump-off-Joe  District 

Jump-off-Joe  Creek  has  its  headwaters  some  twenty  miles  north- 
east of  Grants  Pass,  and  flows  westward  to  the  Rogue.  A group  of 
mines  near  the  head  of  the  creek  includes  several  properties  showing 
considerable  activity. 

Oro  Fino — This  mine  is  located  upon  the  divide  betweeen  Jump- 
off-Joe  and  Louse  creeks.  It  is  an  old  producer  which  has  been  taken 
up  recently  for  more  extensive  development.  Twelve  hundred  feet  of 
development  has  been  done  in  all, — 600  feet  of  which  is  in  the  lower 
tunnel.  J.  T.  Chase  has  the  work  in  charge. 

Baby — Located  nine  miles  north  of  Grants  Pass  and  owned  by 
the  Capital  City  Gold  Mining  Co.,  of  Sacramento,  C.  C.  Higgins, 
manager.  Opened  by  tunnels  and  drifts  aggregating  750  feet.  Tun- 
nel No.  1 is  in  200  feet;  No.  2 has  a depth  of  350  feet.  Country  rock 
is  a dark  colored  diorite;  ore  is  free  and  base.  Equipment  is  a three- 
stamp  mill. 

Dick— Owned  and  operated  by  Jacob  Meier  and  associates.  The 
vein  is  an  extension  of  the  Gopher.  Ore  is  treated  in  an  arrastra. 
A tunnel  is  being  driven  to  tap  the  vein  at  a lower  level. 

Gopher—  Located  one-half  mile  from  the  Baby.  It  is  the  property 
of  the  Gopher  Gold  Mining  Co.,  of  San  Francisco,  a close  corpora- 
tion, J.  W.  Wright,  president,  T.  R.  Dean,  secretary,  T.  E.  Lacy, 
manager.  It  has  been  worked  for  four  years,  and  is  opened  by  a 
tunnel  500  feet  long,  together  with  1500  feet  of  crosscuts,  drifts,  etc. 
A 10-horse-power  hoist  is  in  use.  Ore  is  base.  A three-stamp  mill 
and  Triumph  concentrator  are  in  place. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


87 


Cook  and  Howland  Placers — Fourteen  miles  northeast  of  Grants 
Pass.  Ground  is  shallow  and  easily  handled  as  shown  by  the  fact 
that  four  acres  can  be  removed  each  year  by  the  use  of  one  four  and 
one-half  inch  nozzle  under  a 250-foot  head.  Three  miles  of  ditch  with 
a capacity  of  1000  inches,  and  a reservoir,  give  the  water  supply. 
Two  No.  3 giants  are  in  use,  together  with  2000  feet  of  pipe.  Arthur 
Howland,  superintendent. 

Hammersley — This  mine  is  reported  to  have  produced  $200,000 
in  the  course  of  various  attempts  that  have  been  made  to  operate  it, 
— bad  management  and  endless  litigation  being  responsible  for  the 
failures.  It  has  recently  been  taken  up  by  Mr.  F.  H.  Osgood,  of 
Seattle,  who  is  pumping  out  the  workings  and  putting  the  five-stamp 
mill  into  shape  for  work.  The  ledge  is  said  to  be  from  one  to  three 
feet  in  width,  and  all  freetnilling  ore.  It  is  also  said  to  be  in  direct 
line  and  dip  with  the  Greenback  ledge. 

Clark  Placers — The  old  Booth-Dysert  placers  were  purchased  last 
year  by  J.  K.  Clark  and  thoroughly  re-equipped.  Much  placer 
ground,  and  two  farms  are  in  the  property, — the  total  amount  of 
land  involved  being  777  acres.  Two  No.  3 giants  under  400  feet 
head  are  in  service.  An  electric  lighting  plant  makes  it  possible  to 
continue  work  through  the  whole  24  hours. 

Lucky  Queen — Three  claims  are  in  the  group,  which  was  first 
worked  35  years  ago.  Two  thousand  feet  of  development  work  has 
been  done.  It  is  again  active  under  the  management  of  C.  D.  Crane. 

Kerby  District 

The  town  of  Kerby  is  situated  upon  the  Illinois  River  in  town- 
30,  range  8 west.  It  is  of  great  historical  interest  from  the  fact  that 
it  was  the  center  of  the  mining  interests  of  Josephine  County  in 
early  days,  and  at  one  time  the  county  seat.  Placer  gold  is  mined 
upon  the  streams  flowing  into  the  Illinois  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place, 
and  a number  of  quartz  properties  are  under  development. 

Imhler  and  Isaacs — This  firm  owns  two  mining  properties  upon 
the  headwaters  of  theChecto,  about  fifteen  miles  northwest  of  Kerby. 
One  of  these  is  a ledge  carrying  values  in  copper,  the  other  a placer 
yielding  coarse  gold  as  well  as  the  platinum  metals.  One  giant  is  in 
operation.  The  gravel  is  six  to  eight  feet  in  depth. 

Tennessee  Gulch  Mine — Located  three  and  one-half  miles  from 
Kerby.  Charles  Schasson,  of  Kerby,  owner. 

Free  and  Easy— This  mine  is  located  two  and  one-half  miles  from 
Kerby.  J.  F.  Stith,  owner. 


88 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


CANYON  CREEK 

Canvon  Creek  is  a tributary  of  Josephine  Creek  about  seven 
miles  west  of  Kerby.  A small  amount  of  placer  work  is  being  done 
upon  it  at  present,  and  in  addition  some  ledge  deposits  said  to  carry 
high  values  in  sylvanite  are  under  development.  F.  H.  Osgood 
operates  one  of  the  placers.  It  is  equipped  with  two  giants. 

JOSEPHINE  CREEK 

Josephine  Creek  is  a tributary  to  the  Illinois  about  seven  miles 
northwest  of  Kerby.  Its  course  is  nearly  parallel  to  the  latter,  how- 
ever, so  that  its  basin  lies  west  of  Kerby,  from  which  it  is  distant 
five  miles.  Both  quartz  and  placer  mines  are  under  exploitation. 

Flintlock  Placer— Located  five  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of 
Kerby.  A ditch  four  miles  long  gives  water  service  under  a head  of 
220  feet  for  eight  months;  a ditch  one  mile  long  supplies  water  for 
by-wash.  Ground  consists  of  bars  30  feet  above  the  present  level 
of  the  creek  bed.  Gravels  are  composed  of  large  and  medium  wash, 
and  are  about  12  feet  in  depth.  A seven-acre  tract  is  now  being 
worked  for  which  a sluice  500  feet  long  is  necessary.  Naucke  and 
Stith  are  operators. 

Morrison  Placer — A high  gravel  bar  is  being  worked  at  this 
property  by  means  of  one  giant.  The  dump  is  excellent  but  water 
supply  is  deficient.  M.  A.  Morrison  and  Sons. 

Gold  King— Three  claims  are  in  this  group,  which  is  located  three 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  Two  shafts  28  and  18  feet  in 
depth  have  been  sunk  upon  the  pay  shoot  of  the  seven-foot  ledge. 
Values  are  said  to  be  partly  in  tellurides.  A two-stamp  mill  is  in  use. 
M.  Mark  and  W.  I.  Evans  are  owners. 

Mud  Flat  Placers — Equipped  with  a ditch  one  mile  long  which 
supplies  1000  inches  of  water  for  eight  months  under  a head  of  225 
feet.  Gohres,  Smith  and  George,  owners. 

ILLINOIS  RIVER 

Wilson  and  Meredith  Placers— Located  six  miles  north  of  Kerby. 
The  property  includes  200  acres  of  ground  upon  both  sides  of  the 
Illinois  River.  Operations  are  upon  a bar  of  thirty  acres  upon  the 
east  side.  An  acre  worked  out  in  1899  is  said  to  have  yielded 
$15,000.  Three  acres  is  a season’s  run.  The  equipment  consists  of 
a ditch  seven  miles  long  from  Fiddlers  Gulch  and  other  gulches  along 
the  way  which  gives  a capacity  of  2500  inches  at  a pressure  of  185 
feet;  one  No.  3 giant,  two  No.  4 giants,  and  one  No.  5.  giant;  and  a 
Ruble  grizzly.  A special  under-current  device  has  been  installed  by  the 


Clevinger,  Photographer,  Grants  Pass. 

HYDRAULIC  ELEVATOR  AT  THE  COLUMBIA  MINE,  GRAVE  CREEK  DISTRICT. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


89 


Waratah  Minerals  Co.  for  the  purpose  of  recovering  the  platinum 
values  associated  with  the  gold.  E.  Wilson,  owner. 

Six  Mile — A placer  property  located  eight  miles  from  Selma.  Old 
Channel  Mining  Co.,  Myron  Harrison,  foreman. 

Louse  Creek  Mines 

Louse  Creek  is  a small  tributary  of  Jump-off-Joe  Creek  rising 
about  six  miles  north  of  Grants  Pass,  and  emptying  at  Merlin. 

Forest  Queen  Placer — Owned  by  J.  P.  Pipes  and  T.  Weisenbacher. 
This  property,  formerly  known  as  the  Lance  placer,  has  212  acres  of 
ground,  two  miles  of  ditch,  2500  feet  of  hydraulic  pipe,  a Ruble  ele- 
vator, and  three  giants.  Water  pressure  is  200  feet.  The  location  is 
six  and  one-half  miles  from  Grants  Pass  upon  the  Louse  Creek  road. 
J.  P.  Pipes  manager. 

Granite  Hill—  Property  of  the  American  Gold  Fields  Co.,  of  Chi- 
cago, W.  J.  Morphy,  manager,  L.  B.  Wickersham,  superintendent. 
Located  nine  miles  from  Grants  Pass.  Both  placer  and  quartz 
grounds  are  included  in  the  800  acres  held  by  the  company.  One 
giant  fed  by  a four-mile  ditch  is  in  operation  upon  the  placer  gravels 
at  present,  an  hydraulic  elevator  being  used  in  conjunction.  Of  the 
several  ledges  upon  the  property,  but  two  are  under  development, 
the  Red  Jacket  and  the  Granite  Hill,  the  latter  being  the  one  upon 
which  work  is  now  being  concentrated.  It  is  opened  by  a shaft  to 
three  levels  which  are  at  107,  207,  and  307  feet  respectively.  Sink- 
ing is  in  progress  with  the  immediate  object  of  reaching  a depth  of 
500  feet.  The  vein  is  from  two  to  eleven  feet  wide;  country  rock  is 
granite;  strike  of  vein  is  northwest.  A steam  hoist,  pumping  plant, 
and  six  drill  compressor  are  in  service  as  parts  of  the  mining  equip- 
ment. Fifteen  stamps  are  now  installed,  while  a new  mill  is  in  the 
course  of  erection  which  is  to  have  a capacity  of  twenty  stamps.  A 
100-horse-power  steam  plant  supplies  power. 

The  Mines  of  the  Lower  Rogue 

A territory  that  is  but  slightly  explored  as  far  as  its  mineral 
resources  is  concerned  is  that  of  the  lower  Rogue  River  basin.  Re- 
ports of  gold,  silver,  copper  and  platinum  are  current,  but  there  is  a 
most  decided  lack  of  definite  information  concerning  the  prospects. 

Near  the  mouth  of  Mule  Creek,  in  northeastern  Curry  County, 
Captain  E.  B.  Burns,  associated  with  Charles  Ladd,  of  Portland, 
has  installed  a five-stamp  mill  to  work  the  ores  of  the  Mule  Moun- 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


»0 

tain  mine.  A tunnel  200  feet  long  and  a shaft  100  feet  deep  disclose 
the  ore  body,  which  is  said  to  be  excellent. 

Across  the  river  from  the  Mule  Mountain  mine  is  the  Keystone, 
owned  by  George  Billings.  It  is  opened  by  185  feet  of  tunnel. 

At  Half-Moon  Bar,  in  this  same  locality,  A.  E.  Frye  has  85  acres 
of  gravel  15  feet  deep  which  prospects  well,  but  no  appliances  for 
working  the  deposits  have  been  installed  as  yet. 

Mt.  Reuben  Mining  District 

The  Mt.  Reuben  district  lies  between  Reuben  Creek  and  Whiskey 
Creek  in  township  33,  range  8 west.  It  is  reached  by  way  of  Glen- 
dale, a wagon  road  having  been  completed  recently  from  that  place 
to  the  Benton  mine.  The  distance  from  Glendale  is  18  miles. 

Lewis  Group — The  eight  claims  in  this  group  are  owned  by  John 
Lewis.  The  vein  has  been  opened  by  2000  feet  of  tunnels. 

Ajax — Development  work  to  the  extent  of  1200  feet  has  been 
done  upon  this  property.  A two-stamp  mill  is  a part  of  the  equip- 
ment. 

California — Developed  by  shafts  and  tunnels  aggregating  700 
feet  of  workings.  Owned  by  Cline,  Lewis,  and  The  Gold  Bug  Devel- 
opment Co. 

Copper  Stain — Property  of  Dana  Bros.  Opened  to  a depth  of 
500  feet  by  tunnels  and  a shaft  which  makes  a total  of  2500  feet  of 
workings.  A steam  hoist  is  used  in  the  development,  and  a ten- 
stamp  mill  has  been  installed. 

Gold  Bug—  Property  of  Senator  Jones  and  brother,  of  Nevada.  A 
ledge  of  free  milling  ore  five  teet  wide  is  opened  to  a depth  of  500  feet 
by  tunnels  aggregating  1800  feet,  and  a shaft  300  feet  deep.  The 
equipment  consists  of  a hoist,  five  stamps,  cyanide  plant  for  tailings, 
electric  light  plant,  and  pumps.  Schuyler  Cole,  superintendent. 

Kremer  and  Palmer — Located  near  the  junction  of  Whiskey 
Creek  and  Rogue  River.  Opened  to  a depth  of  200  feet.  The  ledge 
is  five  to  eight  feet  wide  and  is  said  to  be  all  good  ore.  A ten-stamp 
Parker  rotary  mill  is  in  operation  but  will  be  replaced  by  an  ordinary 
ten-stamp  mill  in  the  near  future.  Willis  Kr.emer,  manager. 

Benton  Group — Eight  claims  are  included  which  are  opened  by 
2000  feet  of  tunnel  work.  The  ledge  is  from  one  to  eight  feet  wide. 
R.  A.  Jones,  superintendent. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


91 


Silver  Creek  District 

Silver  Creek  has  its  sources  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  divide  from 
Galice  Creek,  and  flows  into  the  Illinois  twenty-five  miles  to  the  west. 
The  upper  portions  of  the  district  are  approached  by  way  of  Galice; 
the  lower  portions  are  accessible  by  way  of  the  Briggs  Creek  district. 

Silver  Creek  Hydraulic  Mine — This  property  is  located  three  miles 
west  of  Silver  Creek  Falls.  Two  and  one-half  miles  of  ditch  supplies 
2000  inches  of  water  at  a pressure  of  300  feet.  A dump  of  80  feet 
into  the  creek  is  available.  One  No.  2 giant  is  used.  The  depth  of 
the  gravel  is  30  feet.  Mangum  and  Stock,  Grants  Pass,  owners. 

Waxahachie  Hydraulic  Mine — This  mine  is  located  upon  the 
Illinois  32  miles  from  Selma.  It  includes  240  acres  of  ground,  the 
gravel  deposits  upon  which  have  a depth  of  30  feet.  Values  are  in 
gold  and  platinum.  Water  is  supplied  through  a ditch  two  miles 
long  at  a head  of  225  feet.  One  No.  2 giant  is  in  use.  A dump  of 
80  feet  into  the  Illinois  is  had.  Mangum,  Rehkopf,  and  Co.,  Grants 
Pass,  owners. 

In  addition  to  the  above  the  following  placers  have  been  reported, 
but  no  details  are  given.  They  are  located  about  20  miles  from 
Galice:  The  Clark  and  Terry  placers;  the  Silver  Creek  Basin  placers; 
Cobel  and  Henson  placers;  and  Crott’s  placer. 

Sucker  Creek  District 

Sucker  Creek  is  tributary  to  the  Illinois  from  the  east, — emptying 
two  miles  or  so  west  of  Althouse.  Its  lower  reaches  are  accessible 
from  Kerby  and  Althouse,  while  the  upper  parts  of  the  basin  are 
nearer  Williams. 

Sucker  Creek  Mining  Co. — This  company — a close  corporation, — 
is  working  California  Bar,  situated  at  the  lower  terminus  of  Sucker 
Creek  canyon,  nine  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  stream.  The 
property  consists  of  250  acres  of  placer  ground,  and  was  purchased 
in  July  by  the  owning  company.  The  equipment  includes  a 25-horse- 
power engine,  double  drum  hoist,  overhead  cables,  centrifugal  pump, 
etc.  Eighteen  men  are  at  work.  Ii.  Warner  is  manager. 

Shade  and  Thornwaite — Located  seven  miles  from  Holland.  J. 
F.  Thornwaite,  manager. 

Wise  carver  Placer — Three  miles  from  Boland  Creek,  12  miles  from 
Holland.  J.  F.  Wisecarver,  manager. 

Engles  and  Creed  Placer — Located  upon  Boland  Creek  A.  A. 
Engles,  owner. 


92 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Ducommon — Located  two  miles  south  of  Holland.  Six  claims 
are  included  in  the  group.  Tunnel  No.  1 cuts  the  vein  148  feet  from 
the  portal  at  a depth  of  50  leet;  No.  2 is  in  375  feet,  and  reaches  the 
vein  at  a depth  of  175  feet.  Values  are  in  gold  and  copper.  S.  E. 
Ducommon,  owner. 

Waldo  District 

The  Waldo  district  is  located  upon  the  very  southern  limits  of 
the  state,  its  copper  fields,  particularly,  extending  over  into  Califor- 
nia. It  has  produced  placer  gold  since  early  days,  and  lately  has  ex- 
perienced something  of  a boom  in  connection  withitscopper  deposits. 
With  the  completion  of  the  proposed  railroad  from  Grants  Pass 
through  this  region  to  Eureka,  California,  the  mineral  industry  of 
the  district  will  doubtless  assume  significant  proportions. 

The  Waldo  Smelting  and  Mining  Co. — This  corporation,  under 
the  management  of  Col.  T.  Waln-Morgan  Draper,  of  San  Francisco, 
has  been  quite  active  in  the  development  of  its  properties,  these  being 
dormant  at  the  present  time,  however,  pending  the  completion  of  the 
railroad  mentioned  above.  Veins  are  said  to  be  up  to  150  feet  in 
width  and  to  carry  values  in  copper  and  gold.  The  working  center 
of  this  company  is  at  Takiltna,  four  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of 
Waldo.  A wagon  road  and  telephone  connect  this  place  with  Grants 
Pass.  Mr.  C.  L.  Tutt  is  in  charge  at  Takilma. 

Simmons , Logan  and  Cameron — This  placer  is  located  two  and 
one-half  miles  northwest  of  Waldo.  The  ground  is  composed  of  thick 
horizontal  strata  of  clay  beds,  together  with  thick  seams  of  fine 
gravel.  A Hendy  elevator  No.  1 has  been  installed.  Seven  thousand 
feet  of  hydraulic  pipe  is  in  use.  J.  M.  Logan,  manager. 

Allen  Gulch — Located  one  mile  southeast  of  Waldo.  Two  giants 
are  in  use,  the  first  piping  to  the  second,  which  drives  the  material 
into  the  sluice.  Eleven  miles  of  ditch  gives  water  service  for  seven 
months.  Seven  hundred  acres  in  the  property.  F.  H.  Osgood, 
owner. 

Smith-Beer  Placer — Located  upon  the  Illinois  River  seven  miles 
from  Waldo.  Oscar  Beer,  manager. 

The  Deep  Gravel  Mining  Co. — The  holdings  of  this  company, — 
formerly  known  as  the  Wimer  placer, — are  located  at  Waldo.  Two 
ditches,  two  and  four  miles  long  respectively,  furnish  water  for  one 
giant  and  a No.  2 Hendy  elevator,  the  later  raising  the  material  four 
and  one-half  feet  by  means  of  a pressure  of  190  feet.  Pipe  line  is  24 
inches  at  the  penstock,  but  reduces  to  18  inches  at  the  pit.  A feature 
of  the  mine  is  the  outlet  race.  This  is  7000  feet  long  and  60  feet 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


93 


deep,  and  includes  nearly  300  feet  of  tunnel.  A part  of  the  placer 
ground  is  lower  than  this  outlet,  however,  and  to  assist  in  working 
this  the  elevator  mentioned  above  was  installed  last  summer.  A 
shaft  to  prospect  the  deeper  gravels  found  bed  rock  at  70  feet, — 43 
feet  of  this  distance  being  through  pay  ground.  E.  A.  Reames  is 
secretary  of  the  company  owning  the  mine,  and  W.  J.  Wimer  is 
manager. 

Vulcan  Copper  Co. — The  holdings  of  this  company  include  the 
Sowell  group  which  was  purchased  recently  from  the  Mountainview 
Copper  Co.  Several  hundred  feet  of  tunnels  and  drifts  have  been  run 
in  the  way  of  development  work.  A 30-ton  Vulcan  smelter  is  upon 
the  property,  but  is  not  in  use. 

Gold  and  Silver  Upon  the  Oregon  Coast 

The  southern  part  of  Curry  County  has  been  prospected,  as  yet, 
only  in  the  most  superficial  way,  and  but  little  can  be  said  regarding 
its  mineral  resources.  Beginning  with  the  northern  half  of  township 
35,  and  extending  north  to  township  23,  are  the  Port  Orford  and 
Coos  Bay  quadrangles,  the  geology  of  which  has  been  thoroughly 
worked  up  under  the  direction  of  J.  S.  Diller,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey 
Folios  89  and  73.  The  eastern  limit  of  these  quadrangles  is  the 
meridian  of  124°  in  range  11  west. 

BEACH  MINING 

Immediately  upon  the  coast  in  both  Curry  and  Coos  counties 
gold  has  been  extracted  from  the  black  sands  concentrated  by  the 
wave  action  of  the  winter  storms.  These  black  sand  deposits  are  to 
be  found  not  only  upon  the  present  beach,  but  also  upon  the  borders  of 
the  costal  plain,  sometimes  four  miles  from  the  ocean,  and  at  alti- 
tudes up  to  200  feet.  Investigations  carried  out  several  years  ago 
by  Messrs.  Sharpless  and  Winchell*  show  that  the  gray  sands  carry 
an  average  value  of  7.2  cents  per  ton,  while  the  average  of  the  black 
sands  examined  was  54  cents.  The  gold  is  native,  and  occurs  in 
excessively  thin,  cup-shaped  scales,  of  which  600  colors  are  required  to 
make  one  cent.  The  matter  of  saving  such  values  is  a vexing  one, 
and  much  experimenting  has  been  done  with  perhaps  no  distinctly 
satisfactory  solution  of  the  problem.  In  addition  to  the  gold,  vari- 
able values  are  found  in  the  platinum  metals,  besides  perfectly  crys- 
talline garnets  rubies,  and  iron  minerals. 

Beach  Mines  in  Curry  County — Two  mines, — the  Blanco  mine  and 
the  Sixes  mine, — have  been  described  by  Mr.  Diller,  but  no  reports  of 
activity  during  the  past  year  have  been  received  from  them. 

*A  Geological  Reconnaissance  in  Northwestern  Oregon;  Diller;  U.  S.  Geo- 
logical Survey  Ann.  Rep.  17. 


94 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


The  Blanco  is  located  in  section  4,  township  32,  range  15  west- 
Sluices  500  feet  in  length,  and  seven  burlap  tables  are  used  in  saving 
the  values. 

The  Sixes  mine  is  near  the  line  between  sections  27  and  34,  town- 
ship 31,  range  15.  It  is  upon  the  eastern  border  of  the  costal  plain 
at  an  altitude  of  200  feet. 

The  Beach  Mines  of  Coos  County — Farther  north  in  Coos  County 
the  Randolph  district,  comprising  the  entire  coast  limit  of  township 
27,  has  been  quite  productive.  At  the  present  time  two  mines  are  in 
operation,  the  Confidence,  and  the  Rose.  The  old  Pioneer  mine  at 
the  head  of  The  Lagoons,  as  well  as  the  Eagle  and  Sprague-Warner 
mines, — all  old  producers,  are  not  now  worked.  The  black  sand 
deposit  lies  at  the  foot  of  a bluff,  200  feet  above  sea  level,  and  30  feet 
above  the  plain  level.  In  the  language  of  Mr.  Diller:  “The  belt  of 
black  sand  is  about  150  feet  in  width.  In  cross  section  it  is  lenticular 
in  shape, — about  four  feet  thick  in  the  middle,  tapering  to  an  edge 
upon  each  side,  with  the  coarsest  material,  including  the  gold,  near 
the  landward  border,  where  it  is  highest  and  represents  the  most  vig- 
orous wave  action The  black  sand  is  composed  chiefly  of 

garnet,  magnetite,  ilmenite,  and  chromite,  with  a smaller  amount  of 

zircon,  epidote,  and  a few  other  minerals Platinum  with 

iridosmine  is  locally  found  in  recognizable  quantity  among  the  heavy 
concentrates.” 

The  Confidence  mine  is  being  worked  under  the  supervision  of  C. 
B.  Zeek,  of  Bullards.  Fifty  sluice  boxes  of  special  construction, 
the  details  of  which  are  not  reported,  are  used.  The  gold  amalgam- 
ates, while  the  platiuum,  which  is  present  in  large  quantity,  is  saved 
“by  special  method.” 

No  report  was  received  from  the  Rose  mine,  beyond  the  statement 
that  it  is  again  in  operation  after  a long  period  of  idleness. 

Beach  Mining  North  of  Coos  County — Above  the  Randolph  dis- 
trict no  other  beach  operations  have  come  to  notice  upon  the  coast 
except  at  Otter  Rock,  eight  miles  north  of  Newport,  where  B.  F. 
Jones,  of  Toledo,  is  interested.  Mr.  Jones  states  that  the  method  of 
mining  is  with  old-fashioned  sluice  boxes,  with  blankets  to  catch  the 
gold.  Probably  20  per  cent  of  the  values  in  gold  and  platinum  are 
saved.  The  platinum  product  is  about  25  per  cent  of  the  total.  A 
man  working  eight  hours  will  take  out  from  $1.50  to  $2.00  per  day. 
The  black  sand  varies  from  one  to  five  feet  in  depth.  Values  are 
not  found  farther  than  two  hundred  feet  away  from  the  base  of  the 
bluff,  which  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the  precious  metals  are  sim 
ply  concentrated  by  wave  action  during  the  winter  storms  from  the 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


95 


materials  produced  in  the  natural  weathering  of  the  loose  sandy 
bluffs.  These  bluffs  are  from  20  to  100  feet  high.  The  same  beach 
has  now  been  mined  over  for  eight  seasons  with  the  same  production, 
showing  that  the  storms  invariably  bring  back  about  the  same 
amount  of  gold  and  platinum. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  upon  the  authority  of  Dr. 
August  C.  Kinney,  of  Astoria,  gold  occurs  in  the  Clatsop  sands 
widely  disseminated  and  in  quantities  sufficient  to  pay  for  working 
them.  Newspaper  reports  to  the  effect  that  the  sands  from  dredging 
operations  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  were  to  be  “sluiced”  to  test 
this  statement  have  not  been  confirmed. 

MINES  INLAND  FROM  THE  COAST 

Inland  from  the  coast  a number  of  metal  bearing  areas  are 
known.  The  most  important  is  probably  the  Johnson  Creek-Sixes 
River  district  extending  north  of  west  in  township  32,  and  through 
ranges  11,  12,  13,  14,  and  15.  According  to  Diller  placer  mines  were 
active  in  the  Johnson  Creek  district  before  1890,  in  which  year  a 
series  of  disastrous  land  slides  so  filled  the  streams  that  further 
operations  have  been  impossible. 

Salmon  Mountain  Mine — At  the  head  of  Johnson  Creek  upon 
Salmon  Mountain  the  Salmon  Mountain  mine  is  being  operated 
under  the  supervision  of  Geo.  T.  Hall,  of  Ecklev.  Water  under  200 
feet  head  is  secured  from  Johnson  Creek.  Some  ledges  upon  the 
property  have  been  developed  by  1000  feet  of  tunnels.  A smallarras- 
tra  is  used  to  reduce  the  ore  taken  out. 

In  the  same  neighborhood  a company  organized  by  Ira  Buzan 
has  completed  a new  flume  and  made  other  arrangments  for  work 
upon  a large  scale. 

Near  Rusty  Butte,  just  west  of  Salmon  Mountain,  Harrison 
Bros.,  of  Myrtle  Point,  have  a group  of  claims  upon  which  con- 
siderable development  has  been  done,  and  which  have  yielded  some 
returns  from  ore  treated  in  arrastra. 

Between  the  forks  of  Sixes  River  and  the  mouth  of  Edson  Creek 
several  placers  are  said  to  be  in  operation  upon  high  bars.  No 
details  concerning  these  properties  are  at  hand. 

WEST  FORK  DISTRICT 

Considerable  activity  has  been  in  evidence  during  the  past  two 
years  at  the  headwaters  of  the  West  Fork  of  Cow  Creek,  in  town- 
ship 32,  range  10.  The  district  is  isolated  and  difficulty  accessible, 
so  that  developments  are  necessarily  slow.  Th#  following  are  the 
most  important  of  the  prospects: 


96 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Crystal — Richard  Dick  and  Win.  M.  Porter,  Camas  Valley. 
White  quartz  carrying  free  gold.  Developed  by  a short  tunnel. 

Prolific — E.  K.  Cluster  and  A.  E.  DeGroot,  Camas  Valley.  Ore 
body  is  three  feet  of  decomposed  quartz.  A 15-foot  shaft  and  a 40- 
foot  tunnel  compose  development. 

Eagle — Henry  Martindale,  Camas  Valley,  owner.  Ledge  36  feet 
wide.  Opened  by  a 40-foot  shaft  and  a 30-foot  crosscut. 

Pearl — Same  owners  as  the  Crystal.  A 60-foot  tunnel  has  been 
driven. 

Buckhorn — Walter  Drane,  Coquille,  owner.  A 20-foot  shaft  con- 
stitutes development. 

Fifteen  or  more  other  claims  are  reported  upon  which  assess- 
ment work  is  being  done. 


GYPSUM 

The  only  deposit  of  gypsum  which  has  received  any  development 
is  that  belonging  to  the  Oregon  Lime  and  Plaster  Co  , at  Hunting- 
ton.  This  deposit  is  described  by  Lindgren  as  occurring  four  miles 
from  Burnt  River,  and  eight  miles  from  Huntington,  near  the  summit 
of  the  ridge  overlooking  Snake  River.  The  mineral  is  found  in  two 
beds,  one  of  which  is  20  feet  thick  while  the  other,  80  feet  higher  up, 
is  30  to  40  feet  thick.  A plant  for  the  manufacture  of  plaster  of  paris 
is  in  operation. 

Mr.  W.  G.  Thomson,  county  clerk  of  Malheur  County,  is  author- 
ity for  the  statement  that  a number  of  ledges  are  to  be  found  in  that 
count}',  which  are  unappropriated  and  easily  accessible. 

The  mineral  is  also  reported  from  Bear  Creek,  east  of  Princville, 
Crook  County. 


INFUSORIAL  EARTH 

Very  large  deposits  of  this  material  are  found  east  of  the  Cas- 
cades, but  inquiries  instituted  by  correspondence  have  failed  to  elicit 
sufficient  data  to  permit  the  areas  being  plotted.  It  is  known  in  a 
general  way  that  the  substance  occurs  along  the  Des  Chutes  River, 
where  exposures  many  feet  in  thickness  may  be  seen.  It  is  reported 
from  Wheeler  an(^  Malheur  counties,  while  in  Baker  County,  it  is 
said  to  occur  in  large  amounts  in  townships  13  and  14,  range  37, 
east.  * 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


97 


IRON 

The  best  known  iron  deposit  in  the  state  is  located  about  three 
miles  from  Oswego,  a town  upon  the  Willamette  eight  miles  south  of 
Portland.  The  following  description  is  condensed  from  Diller’s  Geo- 
logical Reconnaissance  in  Northwestern  Oregon:  The  deposit  is  in 
the  form  of  a bed  about  one  mile  long  and  a half  mile  wide.  It  is  a 
bog  deposit,  formed  upon  a basalt  floor  by  the  decomposition  of  sur- 
rounding basalt  slopes.  Both  the  ore  and  its  immediate  covering  of 
sand  were  covered  at  a later  period  by  another  flow  of  basalt.  The 
ore  is  a limonite  varying  in  hardness,  color,  and  composition.  Anal- 
yses are  given  showing  as  high  as  54  per  cent  of  metallic  iron.  Phos- 
phorus varies  from  .666  to  .392 percent.  Developments  at  the  mine 
are  said  to  consist  of  three  slightly  converging  inclines  running  down 
the  slope  of  the  bed  for  nearly  a thousand  feet.  Ore  from  this  mine 
was  reduced  at  Oswego  as  early  as  1865,  and  in  1880  the  yield  of 
iron  was  6,225  tons.  According  to  one  informant,  the  complete 
reduction  plant  now  at  Oswego  started  operations  in  1888,  ran  con- 
tinuously for  something  like  three  years,  intermittently  for  two  or 
three  more,  and  then  stopped.  This  result  was  probably  due  to  a 
combination  of  circumstances, — the  high  price  of  fuel  doubtless  being 
an  important  consideration  in  the  matter. 

The  Iron  Mountain  Coal  and  Iron  Co.’s  property  is  upon  the 
North  Fork  of  the  Scappoose,  25  miles  northwest  of  Portland.  It  is 
developed  by  an  open  cut  200  feet  long,  and  a tunnel  50  feet  long. 
A 50-horse-power  water  wheel  furnishes  power  for  some  crushing  and 
grinding  machinery,  the  product  being  used  as  paint.  Mr.  F.  Payne, 
of  Scappoose,  is  managing  owner. 

Reports  have  been  received  of  iron  deposits  in  township  2 
north,  ranges  2,  3 and  4 west. 

Mr.  C.  G.  Caples.  of  Columbia  City,  has  knowledge  of  several 
iron  deposits  in  Columbia  County,  which,  on  account  of  their  being 
located  in  close  proximity  to  the  coal  beds  of  that  region,  should  be 
of  considerable  interest. 

Another  iron  locality  is  said  to  exist  in  Tillamook  County,  15 
miles  east  of  Garibaldi. 

Near  Walker,  Lane  County,  Mr.  E.  B.  Simmons  has  a deposit  of 
ferruginous  material,  suitable  for  the  preparation  of  iron  paint, 
and  which  he  is  getting  into  shape  for  production. 

A considerable  bed  of  iron  ore  derived  from  the  oxidation  of 
pyrite  is  found  a mile  or  two  above  Gold  Hill,  Jackson  County. 

Another  deposit  of  paint-making  material  is  said  to  occur  near 
Eagle  Point,  Jackson  County. 


98 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


LEAD 

There  arc  no  mines  in  Oregon  at  the  present  time  yielding  lead  to 
the  exclusion  of  other  metals.  It  is  one  of  the  most  common  constit- 
uents of  the  base  ores  of  gold  and  silver,  however,  and  in  greater 
or  less  quantity  occurs  especially  in  the  following  districts:  Bohemia, 
Quartzville,  Shena  Creek,  Trout  Creek,  Spanish  Gulch,  Elkhorn, 
Cable  Cove,  Greenhorn,  Quartzburg,  Susanville,  Sparta,  Cornucopia, 
and  Connor  Creek. 


LIME 

This  commodity  is  manufactured  in  Oregon  for  the  local  trade 
only.  The  largest  producer  is  the  Oregon  Lime  and  Plaster  Co.,  of 
Huntington.  At  Lostine,  Wallowa  County,  the  Lostine  Lime  and 
Marble  Co.,  O.  J.  Poley  manager,  has  a 500-bushel  capacity  kiln 
which  gave  a production  in  1903  of  about  1000  bushels  of  lime. 
Another  kiln  is  said  to  be  in  operation  at  Joseph,  Wallowa  County. 
At  John  Day  a kiln  was  formerly  in  use,  but  no  information  for  the 
past  year  has  been  received  concerning  it.  The  White  Swan  marble 
mine  on  Cheney  Creek,  Josephine  County,  is  preparing  for  the  active 
production  of  lime,  while  other  enterprises  are  being  launched  upon 
the  marble  deposits  of  the  Applegate,  having  for  their  object  the 
bringing  out  of  both  lime  and  marble.  South  of  Gold  Hill,  upon  Kanes 
Creek,  Carpenter  and  Allison  produced  6000  bushels  of  lime  in  1903. 

MERCURY 

Cinnabar  is  mentioned  by  Lindgren  as  occurring  in  the  Sumpter, 
Granite  and  Susanville  districts. 

Indications  point  toward  the  existence  of  a cinnabar  deposit  in 
the  Coast  Range  in  the  western  part  of  Yamhill  County. 

In  township  1 north,  range  10  west,  Tillamook  County,  it  is  said 
that  rich  specimens  of  quicksilver  ore  have  been  taken. 

Near  Brownsboro,  Jackson  County,  in  section  12,  township  36 
south,  range  1 east,  Wm.  Stanley  has  a quicksilver  prospect  upon 
which  some  work  has  been  done  with  encouraging  results.* 

Three  miles  south  of  Ashland  some  seams  of  cinnabar  have  been 
prospected,  and  a limited  amount  of  mercury  reduced  for  local  placer 
work. 

In  the  Meadows  district  of  northern  Jackson  County,  township 
34,  range  2 west,  the  Rogue  River  Quicksilver  Mining  Co.,  of  Medford, 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


99 


is  opening  a group  of  cinnabar  claims.  A 55-foot  shaft  has  been  sunk, 
and  a tunnel  started  150  feet  below.  Dr.  J.  M.  Keene,  of  Medford,  is 
one  of  the  principal  stock  holders  in  this  company. 

Reed  and  Fletcher  are  also  developing  a cinnabar  prospect  in  the 
Meadows  district.  A shaft  118  feet  in  depth  has  been  sunk.  The 
Mayfield  property,  in  the  same  neighborhood,  is  said  to  have  a large 
body  of  ore  carrying  one  per  cent  mercury. 

Good  float  cinnabar  has  been  picked  up  on  Cow  Creek,  Douglas 
County,  and  good  specimens  are  also  at  hand  from  Pickett  Creek, 
Josephine  County. 

A ledge  of  cinnabar  is  under  development  upon  the  South  Ump- 
qua, Douglas  County. 

According  to  Mr.  W.  B.  Dennis,  of  Black  Butte,  Or.,  who  has  made 
the  occurrence  of  quicksilver  in  the  Northwest  a special  study,  unde- 
veloped deposits  of  cinnabar  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Prineville, 
Crook  County. 

Elkhead  Mine — Near  Elkhead,  township  23,  range  4 west,  an 
extensive  deposit  of  the  mineral  exists  owned  by  the  Hovey  Brothers, 
of  Eugene.  Several  years  ago  a furnace  was  in  operation  at  this 
property,  but  for  some  reason  failed  to  recover  the  values  properly, 
so  that  operations  ceased  pending  improvements  that  have  not,  as 
yet,  been  undertaken. 

The  Black  Butte  Quicksilver  Mining  Co. — This  is  a Washington 
state  corporation  owning  and  operating  the  Black  Butte  mines, 
located  upon  a northern  spur  of  the  Calapooia  Mountains  in  town- 
ship 23,  range  3 west.  Black  Butte  Mountain,  the  apex  of  which  is 
1750  feet  above  the  valley,  seems  to  be  composed  of  an  altered 
andesite  permeated  by  a system  of  fractures,  along  the  planes  of 
which  the  main  ore  deposition  has  taken  place,  the  ore  bodies  attain- 
ing a width  of  from  seven  to  twenty  feet,  and  showing  persistence 
both  longitudinally  and  vertically.  These  planes  dip  at  an  average  of 
57°  from  the  horizontal,  the  highest  values  lying  next  to  the  hanging 
wall.  The  occurrence  of  the  cinnabar  is  not  confined  altogether  to 
the  fracture  plains,  however,  but  it  is  disseminated  in  small  quanti- 
ties throughout  the  main  mass  of  country  rock  which  therefore  rep- 
resents a very  large  deposit  of  low  grade  ore.  The  owners  of  the 
property  expect  to  be  able  to  recover  the  values  from  this  portion 
of  their  mine  as  well  as  from  the  richer  ore  shoots.  Over  12,000  feet 
of  adits,  upraises,  shafts,  and  winzes  have  been  opened,  giving  a ver- 
tical depth  of  some  1500  feet.  Given  shoots  are  said  to  increase  in 
richness  with  depth.  On  levels  down  to  the  400-foot  level  continuous 
drifts  have  been  opened  for  more  than  2000  feet  along  the  course  of 
the  main  fractures.  Conditions  are  most  favorable  for  cheap  mining. 


100 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


The  property  is  at  present  equipped  with  a 50-ton  Scott-Hutner  con- 
tinuous fine-ore  six-inch-tile  furnace  of  the  California  pattern.  It  is 
entirely  inadequate  for  the  work  of  reducing  the  ores  of  this  mine, 
however,  and  will  be  augmented  in  the  near  future  by  a large  plant 
with  more  modern  appliances.  The  cost  of  treatment  at  present  is  67 
cents  per  ton.  Many  external  improvements  have  been  made  upon 
the  property  with  an  evident  eve  for  the  beautiful  as  well  as  for  con- 
venience and  utility.  Mr.  W.  B.  Dennis,  of  Black  Butte,  is  managing 
owner. 


MOLYBDENITE 

This  mineral  is  reported  from  Copper  Creek,  in  the  Eagle  Moun- 
tains of  Baker  County,  where  a vein  of  white  quartz  stained  with 
copper  carries  an  occasional  bunch  of  molybdenite.  Mr.  J.  T. 
Tucker,  of  Burkemont,  has  knowledge  of  this  deposit. 

Mr.  Henry  J.  Jory,  of  LaGrande,  gives  information  of  the  occur- 
rence of  molybdenite  in  Glacier  Park,  Middle  Eagle  Creek. 

The  mineral  is  also  said  to  occur  upon  Deer  Creek,  near  Sumpter, 
and  at  the  head  of  the  Imnaha,  over  the  mountain  from  the  Cornu- 
copia mine,  where,  over  a district  two  or  three  miles  square,  it  is 
found  mixed  with  quartz. 

In  township  6 south,  range  44  east,  and  near  the  location  just 
described,  is  located  the  Drum  Lummon  group  of  mints,  owned  by 
the  Whirlwind  Gold  Mining  and  Exploration  Co.,  E.  S.  McComas, 
Portland,  secretary.  Five  claims,  mill  site,  tunnel  site  and  water 
rights  are  included  in  the  holdings  of  this  company.  Old  workings 
upon  the  property  penetrate  an  eight-foot  vein  carrying  copper  and 
gold,  and  in  its  center  a streak  of  molybdenite  said  to  be  of  sufficient 
purity  and  extent  to  make  the  deposit  a valuable  one. 

The  price  of  molybdenum  has  been  advancing  rapidly  during  the 
past  year, — an  ore  carrying  50  per  cent  being  worth  now  about  $400 
per  ton.  At  this  figure  a good  molybdenum  mine  is  well  worth 
consideration. 


NICKEL 

Traces  of  nickel,  together  with  cobalt,  are  found  upon  the  Mal- 
heur River,  thirty  miles  from  Ontario;  in  the  vicinity  of  Johnson 
Mountain,  Coos  County;  in  the  Standard  mine  at  Quartzburg;  in  the 
Spanish  Gulch  district;  associated  with  the  deposits  of  pyrrhotite 
found  on  Upper  Dads  Creek,  Cow  Creek  canyon,  Douglas  County; 
and  at  Rock  Point,  Jackson  County. 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


101 


The  most  noted  deposit  of  nickel  in  the  state,  however,  is  located 
three  miles  in  an  air  line  west  of  Riddle,  Douglas  County.  Piney 
Mountain,  the  place  of  the  occurrence,  is  an  elevated  ridge  composed 
according  to  Diller  of  saxonite, — a rock  belonging  to  the  peridotities, 
— situated  within  a belt  of  metamorphic  rocks  extending  from  south- 
west to  northeast  for  unknown  distances.  The  nickel  area  is  small, 
being  included,  practically,  within  section  17,  township  30,  range  6 
west.  Exposures  are  high  up  on  the  mountain,  and  all  prospecting 
has  been  confined  to  them.  Developments  are  of  the  most  inadequate 
sort  imaginable,  numerous  open  cuts,  a half  dozen  short  tunnels,  and 
a few  shallow  shafts  constituting  the  whole.  The  ore  is  here  gen- 
thite  or  garnierite,  a silicate  of  nickel  and  magnesium,  which  is  found 
in  a matrix  of  chalcedony.  According  to  Dr.  W.  L.  Austin,  of  Denver, 
who  visited  the  region  in  1895  and  described  it  in  a paper  read  before 
the  Colorado  Scientific  Society,  it  occurs  in  veins  and  bunches  which 
are  quite  generally  distributed  over  the  mountain  with  the  exception 
of  a barren  area  of  about  twenty  acres.  The  veins  in  places  are 
over  eighty  feet  wide,  and  are  of  unknown  depth.  Much  of  the  ore 
on  the  dumps  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Austin’s  visit  would  average  five  per 
cent  nickel.  The  soil  of  the  mountain  carries  as  much  as  two  per 
cent  of  the  metal. 

The  nickeliferous  areas  are  controlled  by  two  companies,  the 
Oregon  Nickel  Mines  Co.,  and  the  American  Nickel  Mining  Co.  Mr. 
J.  H.  Winslow,  of  Glencoe,  111.,  is  president  of  the  latter.  TJiis  com- 
pany has  expended  $80,000,  it  is  said,  in  external  improvements, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  a road  to  the  top  of  Piney  Moun- 
tain; a power  plant  at  the  site  of  the  proposed  reduction  works  con- 
sisting of  a 300-horse-power  Corliss  engine  and  water-tube  boiler; 
and  buildings  for  various  purposes.  A furnace  and  other  parts  of  a 
smelting  equipment  are  stored  at  Riddle.  No  work  has  been  done 
for  about  ten  years. 

OZOKERITE  AND  ASPHALTUM 

Wax-like  substances  are  said  to  occur  near  Ashland,  Prineville, 
and  Climax,  while  in  the  basin  of  the  Nehalem  River  it  is  reported 
that  sandstone  impregnated  with  material  of  this  sort  has  been 
found. 

Asphaltum  deposits  are  of  reputed  occurrence  near  Lake  Alvord, 
southern  Harney  County,  and  near  Drewsey,  in  this  same  county, 
upon  the  middle  fork  of  the  Malheur.  In  some  of  the  coal  veins  of 
Coos  County,  interesting  occurrences  of  asphaltum-like  substances 
have  been  noted. 


102 


'University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


A controversy  has  long  been  waged  in  Oregon  as  to  the  nature  of 
certain  waxes  found  in  considerable  quantit}'  in  the  sands  of  Nehalem 
beach,  in  Tillamook  County.  The  regular  shapes  often  possessed  by 
some  of  these  masses,  together  with  the  existence  of  markings  upon 
them  having  the  appearance  of  letters,  has  led  to  the  hypothesis  that 
the  wax  was  once  the  cargo  of  a Spanish  ship  destined  for  the  Span- 
ish missions  of  the  Pacific  coast, — the  vessel  having  been  wrecked,  it 
is  supposed,  near  Nehalem  Bay.  The  existence  of  a bee  imbedded  in 
one  of  the  cakes,  together  with  analytical  data,  and  the  general 
texture  and  aroma  of  the  substance — all  is  sufficient  evidence  to  the 
adherents  of  the  wrecked  ship  hypothesis  that  the  material  is  at  least 
really  beeswax. 

Their  opponents,  however,  contend  that  no  vessel  of  a century  or 
two  ago  could  possibly  have  carried  the  quantity  of  wax  known  to 
have  been  quarried  and  sold  from  this  place,  and  that  furthermore, 
since  the  wax  is  found  high  up  on  the  beach,  and  far  away  from  the 
probable  surf  line  of  so  recent  a period,  it  is  without  the  range  of 
possibility  that  the  deposit  originated  in  this  way.  The  opponents 
of  the  ship  idea  are  inclined  to  assert  that  the  substance  is  ozokerite, 
and  adduce  various  reputed  chemical  analyses  in  support  of  their 
contention.  They  also  emphasize  the  fact  that  sandstones  saturated 
with  ozokerite  are  reported  from  the  basin  of  the  Nehalem  River. 
One  controversialist  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  ozokerite  depos- 
its of  Utah,  and  has  seen  every  regular  shape  found  at  Nehalem — 
hieroglyphics  and  all — duplicated  by  natural  processes  in  the  Utah 
field.  The  existence  of  a bee  imbedded  in  the  wax  is  easily  explained, 
they  say,  by  assuming  that  upon  some  warm  summer  day,  when  the 
wax  was  soft  and  sticky,  an  unfortunate  insect  of  that  species  per- 
chance became  entangled  in  it,  and  has  so  been  preserved  to  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Investigations  to  determine  the  nature  of  the  Nehalem  wax  were 
taken  up  in  the  University  laboratory  a year  ago  and  carried  nearly 
to  completion  under  direction  of  the  writer  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Carroll.  It 
has  been  shown  in  this  work  that  the  substance  is  not  an  ozokerite  at 
all,  but  that  it  has  all  of  the  qualitative  characters  of  a beeswax.  It 
would  seem  that  during  its  long  period  of  exposure  the  wax  has 
undergone  a mild  oxidation,  whereby  in  its  quantitative  composi- 
tion only  does  it  differ  from  that  of  fresh  beeswax.  Diligent  inquiry 
has  failed  to  reveal  a single  chemical  analysis  worthy  of  the  name 
which  does  not  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  this  material  is  the  true 
product  of  the  bee. 

The  origin  of  the  wax  is  as  much  a mystery  as  ever,  since  there  is 
really  no  evidence  that  it  ever  came  from  a wrecked  ship.  It  is  quite 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


103 


possible  that  wild  bees  at  some  time  in  the  past  have  nested  in  the 
soft  sandstone  cliffs  of  the  Nehalem  and  that  because  of  a landslide, 
or  even  in  the  natural  course  of  weathering,  their  stores  of  wax  have 
been  precipitated  into  the  river  and  carried  to  the  beach. 

PETROLEUM  AND  NATURAL  GAS 

Oil  seepages  and  other  indications  of  the  existence  of  petroleum 
are  said  to  occur  near  Bay  City,  Tillamook  County;  at  Vale,  Owyhee, 
Westfall,  and  other  places  in  Malheur  County;  upon  the  farm  of  W. 
A.  Turnidge,  six  miles  northwest  of  Willamina,  Yamhill  County; 
and  upon  the  property  of  J.  W.  Lake,  Olalla,  Douglas  County. 

Prospecting  for  oil  has  been  done  at  several  places,  the  following 
having  come  to  the  notice  of  the  writer:  Mr.  H.  Hirschberg,  of  Inde- 
pendence, drilled  to  a depth  of  986  feet  three  miles  west  of  Indepen- 
dence, and  obtained,  in  addition  to  gas  and  a small  quantity  of  oil,  a 
strong  flow  of  salt  water,  which  he  will  utilize  in  the  manufacture  of 
salt.  Mr.  Hirschberg  will  make  another  attempt  to  secure  oil,  as  he 
believes  indications  fully  justify  it.  A well  at  Newberg  was  aban- 
doned at  1200  feet;  another  in  Lincoln  County  reached  a depth  of 
of  800  feet;  in  wells  at  Troutdale,  Springfield,  Myrtle  Creek,  and  St. 
Johns  operations  ceased  at  unreported  depths,  presumably  without 
results. 

Gas  was  obtained  by  Mr.  Hirschberg,  as  mentioned  above,  and 
a well  227  feet  deep  near  Ontario,  Malheur  County,  furnishes  suffi- 
cient gas  to  supply  seven  lamps  for  six  hours  or  so  at  a time. 

PLATINUM 

This  metal  occurs  associated  with  placer  gold  in  the  following 
places:  The  Hindman  placers,  junction  of  Pine  and  Camp  creeks,  Ba- 
ker County;  in  Carson  Channel,  Camp  Carson,  Union  County;  Span- 
ish Gulch  placers,  Wheeler  County;  in  many  of  the  beach  mines  of 
the  coast;  and  in  placers  extending  along  a supposed  “platinum  belt” 
lying  between  the  Galice  and  Waldo  districts  in  Josephine  County. 
During  the  past  summer  Dr.  Ed.  W.  Mueller,  in  charge  of  the  Sump- 
ter smelter  and  the  Standard  Consolidated  mine  at  Quartzburg,  re- 
ported the  existence  of  platinum  in  the  Ruby  vein  of  the  Standard 
property. 

The  recovery  of  platinum  heretofore  has  been  undertaken  only  in 
a desultory  way.  The  Hindman  placer,  mentioned  above,  saved 
about  half  an  ounce  at  each  clean-up,  according  to  Lindgren.  In 


104 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


many  of  the  placers  of  Coos  and  Curry  counties,  as  well  as  in  the 
beach  mines  as  far  north  as  Yaquina,  platinum  values  are  saved  in  a 
small  way.  In  the  “platinum  belt”  referred  to  above,  some  platinum 
has  been  saved  for  years,  but  doubtless  many  times  the  quantity 
saved  has  been  thrown  away  through  ignorance  of  its  nature  and 
value.  At  the  present  time  the  placer  miners  are  fully  alert  in  the 
matter,  however,  and  where  values  exist  which  can  be  extracted  at  a 
profit  it  will  be  done.  During  the  present  year,  the  Waratah  Min- 
erals Co.,  said  to  be  associated  with  the  Welsbach  Co.,  of  Philadel- 
phia, is  making  an  effort  to  save  the  platinum  of  the  Old  Channel 
placers  in  the  Galice  district.  Associated  with  the  platinum  in  South- 
ern Oregon  are  varying  amounts  of  osmium  and  iridium,  while  rho- 
dium and  palladium  have  also  been  reported. 

RARER  MINERALS  OF  INTEREST 

Diamonds— Small  diamonds  are  reported  from  Harney  County, 
the  district  in  which  they  are  found  being  forty  miles  from  Burns. 

Opals — Opals  are  found  near  Gold  Hill  mine,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Durkee,  Baker  County.  They  occur,  according  to  Lindgren,  in  a 
vellowish-gray  rhyolite  tuff.  The  quarry  has  been  opened  by  a cut 
50  feet  square  and  30  feet  deep. 

A report  has  been  received  to  the  effect  that  opals  are  also  found 
in  large  quantities  upon  Hay  Creek,  northern  Gilliam  county. 

Sapphires,  etc. — Locations  have  been  filed  upon  all  of  sections  1 6, 
17,  and  21,  in  township  25,  range  35  east,  Harney  county,  for  the 
“sapphires  and  other  precious  stones”  carried  by  this  land. 

Josephenite — This  mineral,  a native  alloy  of  nickel  and  iron,  is 
found  in  small  quantities  upon  Josephine  Creek,  southwestern  Jose- 
phine County.  An  analysis  of  this  interesting  substance  was  made 
in  the  laboratory  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  in  1892  by  Mr.  W. 
H.  Melville,  who  gives  the  results  of  his  work  in  the  American  Jour- 
nal of  Science,  for  June  of  that  year,  page  509.  According'to  Mr. 
Melville  the  alloy  contains  23.36  per  cent  of  iron,  and  60.47  per  cent 
of  nickel,  from  which  he  deduces  the  formula  Fe5  Nis.  It  differs  from 
meteoric  iron  in  containing  no  phosphorus,  and  in  giving  no  Wid- 
mannstaetten  figures.  It  probably  originates  in  an  immense  serpen- 
tine belt  through  which  Josephine  Creek  has  cut  its  channel.  ^Speci- 
mens  in  the  University  collection  have  the  appearance  of  irregular 
water-worn  pebbles.  They  are  black  in  color,  but  when  polished  or 
scratched  appear  like  metallic  iron  or  nickel. 


CINNABAR  OUTCROP  AND  REDUCTION  PLANT,  BLACK  BUTTE  QUICKSILVER 

MINING  CO. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


1 05 


SALTPETER 

This  substance  occurs  in  the  marsh  deposits  ot  southeastern  Ore 
gon,  and  in  quantities  sufficient  to  justify  extraction,  it  is  said. 

A very  interesting  occurrence  is  noted  near  Mt.  June,  southern 
Lane  County,  where  a ledge  of  earthy  material  carrying  large  quan- 
tities of  nitre  is  exposed.  Claims  have  been  staked  by  Mr.  Elmer 
Doolittle  and  associates,  of  Cottage  Grove. 

SODA 

Summer  and  Abert  Lakes,  Lake  County,  are  said  to  be  constitu- 
ted of  strong  solutions  of  salt,  potash,  and  soda,  from  which  some 
soda  has  been  obtained.  No  authentic  information  concerning  the 
industry  has  reached  the  University,  in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  get  into 
communication  with  the  interests  concerned. 

STONE 

Stone  of  various  kinds  can  be  found  widely  distributed  in  the 
state,  but  unfortunately  it  has  happened  that  in  general  the  best 
deposits  are  not  situated  near  the  railroads  or  navigable  streams,  so 
that,  for  mere  lack  of  transportation  facilities,  it  is  impossible  to 
market  much  of  it  at  the  present  time.  The  very  magnitude  of  the 
matter  of  the  occurence  of  stone  has  made  it  out  of  the  question  to 
inquire  closely  into  it,  but  the  material  accumulated  is  given  for  what 
it  is  worth.  The  writer  is  much  indebted  to  Mr.  C.  W.  Washburne 
for  data  regarding  a number  of  quarries.  The  paragraphs  contrib- 
uted by  him  are  marked  with  an  asterisk. 

Baker  County — According  to  Lindgren,  limestone  is  found  in 
large  masses  in  the  Eagle  Creek  Mountains,  and  near  Huntington. 
In  the  Elkhorn  Range,  notably  at  Marble  Creek,  lenticular  masses 
occur,  but  for  the  rest,  limestone  is  found  only  in  small  quantities  in 
in  the  districts  visited  by  him. 

Benton  County — *0ne-half  mile  west  of  Monroe  is  a quarry  from 
which  stone  was  obtained  for  one  of  the  buildings  of  the  Oregon 
Agricultural  College  at  Corvallis.  The  stone  is  a hard,  bluish-gray 
sandstone  with  a partly  crystalline  cement  of  calcium  carbonate. 
Judging  from  exposures  at  the  quarry,  it  ought  to  resist  weathering 
admirably,  but  it  may  be  hard  to  work.  The  nearest  railway  sta- 
tion to  the  quarry  is  at  Corvallis,  12  miles  north,  but  with  slight 
improvements  in  the  channel  of  the  Long  Tom,  an  outlet  might  be 


106  University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 

found  by  means  of  that  stream  and  the  Willamette  to  the  Portland 
market. 

*0pposite  Albany,  about  a mile  from  the  steel  bridge,  is  a quarry 
of  greenish-gray  sandstone.  Most  of  the  rock  quarried  is  yellow 
from  weathering.  It  is  compact,  even  grained,  and  easily  worked. 
Many  of  the  grains  are  surrounded  by  thin  films  of  iron  oxide,  but 
the  principal  cement  is  calcium  carbonate. 

Curry  County — *0n  the  north  side  of  Cape  Blanco  is  a heavy  bed 
of  tawny  yellow  sandstone  of  rather  fine  and  very  even  grain.  It 
has  a little  iron  or  lime  cement,  but  is  quite  compact,  and  probably 
makes  a good  building  stone,  quantities  of  it  having  been  shipped  to 
San  Francisco  for  this  purpose.  From  the  quarry  a little  railway 
has  been  built  to  a precarious  fair-weather  anchorage  about  a mile 
distant.  The  quarry  has  been  idle  for  several  years. 

Crook  County — A volcanic  tuff  occurs  along  the  Des  Chutes  River 
which  can  be  hewn  into  shape  with  an  axe,  and  which  is  used  for 
fire  places  and  other  light  building  purposes. 

Douglas  County — The  Whitsett  limestone  lentils,  described  by 
Diller,  have  served  to  some  extent  as  a source  of  lime,  and  also  have 
been  worked  in  a small  way  for  marble.  The  marble  varies  in 
appearance  from  a dark  wine  color  to  a grayish  yellow.  A full 
description  of  these  lentils  is  given  in  the  Roseburg  Folio  of  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 

*Two  and  onc-half  miles  north  of  Drain  is  a practically  unlimited 
quarry  of  yellow  sandstone.  It  is  of  excellent  quality,  having  been 
put  to  a practical  test  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Co.  in  building  bridge 
piers. 

This  quarry,  it  may  be  said,  is  in  the  Tyee  sandstone, — a forma- 
tion which  deserves  mention  here  as  an  important  future  source  of 
good  building  stone.  From  its  typical  exposures  at  Tyee  Mountain, 
12  miles  west  of  Oakland,  Oregon,  this  stone  extends  northward  in 
the  Coast  Range  Mountains  for  an  unknown  distance.  The  sand- 
stone cliffs  along  the  Siuslaw  River,  especially  Beech  Rock,  and 
Tilden  Rock,  are  probably  of  Tyee  sandstone.  Most  of  the  Coast 
Range  south  of  the  Umpqua  River,  in  fact,  is  composed  of  the  same 
rock.  This  sandstone  presents  unusual  possibilities  as  a building  stone 
because  of  its  abundance,  homogeneity,  and  freedom  from  fracture. 
It  is  usually  in  heavy,  horizontal  beds,  with  a few  thin  separations 
of  shale.  It  presents  but  little  variation  in  the  whole  distance  from 
the  Rogue  River  Mountains  to  the  Siuslaw  River,  but  it  is  most 
favorably  exposed  for  exploitation  along  the  Umpqua  and  Siuslaw 
rivers.  The  stone  is  compact,  even-grained,  micaceous,  and  varies 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin] 


107 


in  color  from  yellow  to  gray  and  green.  It  is  soft  and  easily  worked, 
notwithstanding  which  it  presents  admirable  resistance  to  weather- 
ing. The  quarries  at  Pioneer,  on  the  Corvallis  and  Eastern  railroad, 
are  probably  a northern  extension  of  the  Tyee  sandstone. 

*Just  north  of  Alca  station,  the  Southern  Pacific  is  working  some 
extensive  quarries  of  green  volcanic  tuff.  This  rock  is  too  porous  for 
piers  or  foundations,  but  is  good  in  revetments,  fills,  etc. 

Grant  County — *In  the  north  edge  of  Canyon  City  is  a quarry 
of  white  stone  which  was  largely  used  in  rebuilding  the  business 
part  of  the  city  after  its  destruction  by  fire  in  1S98.  The  stone  is  a 
soft,  white  volcanic  ash,  easily  worked  and  making  a beautiful  build- 
ing stone.  From  its  porosity,  however,  and  the  consequent  ease 
with  which  it  absorbs  water,  it  may  not  long  withstand  the 
frosts  of  Eastern  Oregon.  The  stone  has  no  mineral  cement,  the 
particles  being  held  together  by  interlocking,  and  by  a paste  of  fine 
mud. 

Jackson  County—  Sandstones  are  found  near  Eagle  Point,  and 
upon  the  course  of  the  High  Line  Ditch,  nine  miles  above  Gold  Hill. 
Marble  exists  in  the  mountains  south  of  Gold  Hill.  A stone,  said  to 
be  granite,  was  quarried  near  Ashland  several  years  ago  and  shipped 
to  Portland  for  building  purposes. 

Josephine  County — Enormous  deposits  of  marble  are  known  in 
the  southern  part  of  Josephine  County.  As  early  as  1865,  quarries 
were  opened  and  marble  taken  to  Ashland  for  monuments,  but  lack 
of  roads  into  the  wild,  mountainous  region  in  which  the  marble 
occurs,  together,  doubtless,  with  the  fact  that  in  quarrying  the 
material  in  a small  way  only  the  partly  weathered  stone  was  acces- 
sible, made  it  expedient  to  abandon  attempts  to  use  the  native  pro- 
duct, and  to  ship  from  Vermont.  At  the  present  time,  in  the  more 
easily  accessible  parts  of  the  marble  area,  lime  is  being  burnt  for 
local  demands.  In  the  very  heart  of  the  district  are  the  famous  Ore- 
gon Caves. 

Klamath  County — Most  of  the  county  is  covered  with  basalt, 
but  a ledge  of  sandstone  is  reported  in  Alkali  Valley  near  Bonanza. 

Lane  County — *On  the  south  side  of  the  Siuslaw  River,  near 
Point  Terrace,  is  a quarry  from  which  stone  was  obtained  for  the 
jetty  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  rock  is  a compact  sandstone  of 
Eocene  (?)  age  striking  north  75°  east,  and  dipping  13°  southeast. 
The  position  of  this  quarry  on  tide  water  makes  it  very  accessible, 
and  large  quantities  of  rock  have  been  taken  from  it  chiefly  for  use 
on  the  jetty.  It  has  been  extensively  used  in  Florence  and  elsewhere 


108 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


upon  the  Siuslaw  as  a foundation  stone,  for  which  purpose  it  is 
probably  the  best  stone  upon  the  tidewater  of  that  river. 

*At  Lorane  a quarry  in  gray  sandstone  has  been  opened  and  the 
stone  used  for  fireplaces,  foundations,  etc.  The  rock  is  very  firm  and 
does  not  flake  off  when  used  for  fireplaces.  It  is  probably  a local 
phase  of  the  Tyee  sandstone,  but  is  somewhat  harder,  and  is  more 
thinly  bedded  than  the  typical  rock  at  Tyee  Mountain. 

*Most  of  the  quarries  in  the  Willamette  Valley  are  in  a yellow 
Miocene  sandstone  that  borders  the  valley  upon  both  sides.  An 
abandoned  quarry  in  Fairmount,  Lane  County,  is  in  this  formation, 
as  are  also  several  quarries  across  the  river  from  Salem;  one  quarry 
near  the  junction  of  Bear  Creek  and  Mill  Creek,  about  a mile  south 
of  Turner;  two  near  Forest  Grove;  and  doubtless  several  others. 
The  stone  in  these  quarries  is  of  the  same  character,  having  a fine, 
even  grain,  and  much  fragmental  and  calcareous  material.  It  has 
been  used  for  light  foundations,  but  is  really  unfit  for  building  pur- 
poses of  any  kind.  None  of  the  quarries  in  this  yellow  sandstone 
near  Eugene  are  worked  at  present,  all  of  the  foundation  stone  and 
most  of  the  building  stone  for  that  vicinity  coming  from  Nye’s  quar- 
ries just  east  of  the  abandoned  Fairmount  quarry,  and  probably  a 
local  variation  of  the  same  rock. 

* The  Miocene  series  of  the  Willamette  Valley  contains  other 
stones  that  are  of  the  highest  order  for  building  purposes.  That 
from  the  Nye  quarries  mentioned  above  is  one  of  these.  It  is  a blue 
sandstone  of  fine  and  even  grain,  which  is  soft  and  easily  dressed,  but 
which  can  not  be  carved  in  intricate  designs  like  the  Pioneer  stone. 
By  the  use  of  channeling  machines,  to  the  use  of  which  the  rock  seems 
well  adapted,  blocks  of  almost  any  desired  size  might  be  extracted. 
As  it  is,  blocks  over  five  feet  long  are  sometimes  removed.  The  stone 
is  said  by  Mr.  Nye  to  have  been  subjected  to  crushing  tests  by  the 
Southern  Pacific  Company,  with  very  favorable  results.  Though 
probably  one  of  the  strongest  sandstones  in  the  valley,  the  Nye  stone 
is  doubtless  weakened  in- quarrying  by  the  use  of  powder.  The  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  put  into  buildings  must  also  weaken  it,  as  it  is  usu- 
ally placed  upright  with  the  bedding  plane  outward  in  order  to  save 
work  in  dressing  faces,  and  to  show  up  the  white  clam  shells  which 
occur  in  frequent  beds.  This  upright  position  of  the  sandstones 
mades  it  easier  for  flaking  to  occur,  and  places  stress  upon  the  stone 
in  its  weakest  direction.  It  would  be  a savingfor  the  builder,  though 
not  for  the  contractor,  were  all  sandstones  placed  in  position  with 
their  bedding  planes  horizontal.  Practically  all  the  stone  removed 
from  the  Nye  quarry  is  used  in  Eugene. 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


109 


* Another  good  Miocene  stone  is  that  used  in  the  piers  of  the 
steel  bridge  at  Springfield.  This  is  a strong  tuffaceous  sandstone, 
and  was  obtained  from  the  river  bank  at  the  east  end  of  the  bridge. 
No  stone  has  been  removed  from  the  place  except  for  the  bridge  piers, 
but  it  is  well  adapted  for  general  use. 

* The  same  green  volcanic  tuff  mentioned  as  occurring  at  Alca 
station,  Douglas  County,  continues  north  for  about  eight  miles  to 
Cottage  Grove,  where  it  is  quarried  in  Cemetery  Hill,  west  of  town, 
and  is  used  in  foundations.  It  has  here  a mottled  yellow  color,  ow- 
ing to  oxidation,  and  is  wholly  unfit  for  the  use  which  is  made  of  it. 
It  may  be  said  in  general  that  volcanic  tuff,  and  volcanic  ash,  unless 
thoroughly  cemented  by  some  insoluble  substance,  make  poor  build- 
ing stones  because  of  their  power  of  absorbing  water,  which  causes 
flaking  during  frosts,  and  hastens  decomposition  at  all  times. 

Lincoln  County — One  of  the  best  known  quarries  in  the  state  is 
located  at  Pioneer,  on  the  Corvallis  and  Eastern  railroad.  The  rock 
is  a gray  sandstone,  soft  and  easily  shaped,  yet  quite  durable.  Some 
of  the  beds  are  10  feet  thick,  which  makes  it  possible  lor  blocks  of 
great  size  to  be  taken  out.  Considerable  quantities  have  been  shipped 
to  Portland  and  San  Francisco.  A complete  equipment  of  quarry 
appliances  is  installed.  No  work  was  done  during  the  past  year. 

Granite  Mountain,  section  29,  township  9,  range  8 west,  is  said 
to  possess  an  excellent  quality  of  granite  in  unlimited  quantities. 
Wm.  Toner  and  others,  of  Yaquina,  are  owners  of  the  property. 

Marion  County — *Near  Scott’s  Mills  is  a gray  sandstone  that  is 
probably  one  of  the  best  foundation  stones  of  the  Willamette  Valley, 
its  variable  color  making  it  undesirable  for  building  purposes.  It  is 
dense  and  strong,  and  apparently  less  porous  than  most  of  the  other 
Marion  County  sandstones  examined.  Owing  to  its  distance  from  a 
railroad  the  stone  has  found  only  local  use. 

Two  miles  from  Jefferson  is  a quarry  of  a dark-gray  sandstone 
with  a calcareous  cement.  It  is  fine-grained  and  easily  carved.  It 
was  used  for  the  Oregon  stone  in  the  Washington  monument  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Granite  Mountain  is  located  upon  the  Corvallis  and  Eastern  rail- 
road 50  miles  east  of  Albany.  A complete  quarrying  outfit  is  in  use. 
Two  buildings  at  the  Oregon  Agricultural  College,  Corvallis,  were 
constructed  from  this  granite. 

Multnomah  County — *At  Montavilla,  five  miles  north  of  Port- 
land, is  a quarry  in  dark  igneous  rock, — probably  a basic  andesite, — 
from  which  stone  is  shipped  throughout  the  Willamette  Valley  for 


110 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


use  chiefly  as  tombstone  bases.  As  put  upon  the  market  it  shows 
various  shades  of  brown,  due  to  varying  degrees  of  oxidization,  but 
it  is  possible  to  obtain  single  blocks  of  a uniform  color.  It  is  a beau- 
tiful building  stone  and  is  used  in  some  of  the  recently  built  Portland 
residences.  The  stone  is  hard,  dense  and  strong,  but  difficult  to  work 
on  account  of  its  brittleness.  It  breaks  with  a slightly  conchoidal 
fracture.  Blocks  three  or  four  feet  square  have  few  seams,  either  to 
aid  or  hinder  the  stone  cutter.  It  is  undesirable  for  exterior  use  on 
account  of  the  rapidity  with  which  it  weathers.  It  may  be  said  in 
general  that  all  the  igneous  rocks  of  Oregon  except  those  containing 
quartz, — commercially  known  as  “granites”, — will  give  but  poor  re- 
sistance to  the  elements.  Most  of  the  sandstones  are  better  in  this 
respect. 

Polk  County — *About  three  miles  west  of  Dallas  is  an  extensive 
exposure  of  rock  that  has  been  described  under  Cement.  It  seems  to 
be  an  excellent  stone  for  building  purposes  as  well,  however,  for  it  is 
described  as  having  a beautiful  blue  color  and  fine  texture,  as  being 
durable  and  strong  and  capable  of  taking  a high  polish.  Gravestones 
made  from  this  stone  50  years  ago  are  said  to  give  evidence  as  to  the 
weather  resisting  qualities  of  the  stone.  The  Dallas  County  court 
house  is  built  from  it.  A spur  from  the  railroad  to  Falls  City  can  be 
built  to  this  quarry  at  slight  cost. 

Tillamook  County — Plenty  of  sandstone  and  granite  for  build- 
ing purposes  is  reported  from  the  vicinity  of  Bay  City. 

Union  County — Rhyolitic  lavas,  said  to  be  very  fine  for  building, 
are  reported  Irom  LaGrande.  From  Elgin,  building  stone  undefined 
in  character,  is  reported  “in  any  quantity.” 

Wallowa  County — Limestone  is  reported  from  the  vicinity  of 
Fruita. 

At  Lostine  the  Lostine  Lime  and  Marble  Co.,  0.  J.  Poley, 
manager,  quarries  limestone  for  burning  lime. 

It  may  be  said  in  a general  way  that  the  resources  of  this  county, 
in  the  way  of  building  stone  of  all  kinds,  are  very  great. 

Washington  County — Near  Hillsboro  the  J.  G.  Boos  quarry  has 
been  in  operation  for  about  four  years.  The  rock  is  described  as 
being  “both  sandstone  and  granite,”  and  to  consist  of  “large 
boulders  of  from  20  to  30  tons.”  The  product  is  sawed  for  building 
purposes.  Output  for  1903,  3000  tons. 

Yamhill  County — From  Gopher,  this  county,  a stone  for  road 
metal  is  mentioned  which  is  of  interest.  To  quote  from  the  inform- 
ant: “It  is  put  on  the  roads  as  taken  from  the  quarry,  and  worked 
over  with  hammers  afterward.  With  about  two  years  exposure  the 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


111 


surface  melts  and  makes  a track  surface  almost  like  cement.  On 
some  portions  of  the  road  where  it  was  applied  15  years  ago  it  is 
now  in  fine  condition  for  both  summer  and  winter  travel,  and  that 
without  any  repairs.” 


USES  OF  BASALT 

*Basalt  is  frequently  used  as  a foundation  stone  in  Oregon.  The 
same  objection  may  be  made  to  it  that  was  made  to  the  Montavilla 
stone,  namely,  that  it  will  not  resist  the  weather.  The  finest 
grained  basalts,  which  are  usually  somewhat  glassy  upon  fresh 
fracture,  are  the  most  durable,  but  unfortunately  are  as  a rule  cut 
up  by  a multitude  of  cracks,  so  that  large  blocks  cannot  be  secured. 
One  of  the  best  basalts  examined  is  that  quarried  in  the  southern 
edge  of  Silverton,  Marion  County,  and  used  in  the  foundations  of 
the  mills  and  stores  of  that  city.  Basalt,  especially  when  in  large 
columns,  makes  artistic  fences,  and  its  usefulness  for  this  purpose  is 
not  impaired  by  the  slight  crumbling  which  it  undergoes.  But  its 
main  use  in  Oregon  is  for  road  metal.  When  crushed  and  screened  it 
makes  excellent  macadam,  being  much  better  for  this  purpose  than 
any  other  rock  in  western  Oregon. 


SALT 

Reliable  information  concerning  the  salt  industry  in  southeastern 
Oregon  has  not  been  available  for  this  work.  In  Lake  County, 
numerous  salt  marshes  and  salt  lakes  are  said  to  exist,  many  of  them 
fed  by  salt  springs.  In  summer  the  solutions  are  concentrated 
in  situ  by  solar  heat,  and  the  suit  is  then  obtained  by  simply  piling  it 
up  and  hauling  it  away.  One  such  marsh  is  reported  to  have  yielded 
over  400,000  pounds  of  salt  in  1902,  and  to  have  been  capable  of 
producing  as  much  more.  It  is  said  that  three  men  can  pile  up 
100,000  pounds  of  the  material  in  a week.  Filings  have  been  made 
upon  a number  of  marsh  lands  for  the  purpose  of  working  their  salt 
deposits. 

Salt  springs  are  known  in  Jackson  County  and  in  Douglas 
County,  but  are  not  utilized  at  present. 

Three  miles  west  of  Independence,  Mr.  H.  Hirschberg  obtained  a 
float  of  salt  water  at  a depth  of  962  feet,  while  sinking  for  oil. 
Upon  analysis  the  salt  is  shown  to  be  very  pure.  It  is  Mr.  Hirsch- 
berg’s  intention  to  install  evaporating  apparatus  and  to  put  the 
product  upon  the  market. 


112 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


ZINC 

The  zinc  minerals  of  the  state  occur  altogether  in  association 
with  the  “base”  ores  of  gold  and  silver.  So  far  as  known  at  the 
present  time  there  are  no  mines  in  Oregon  yielding  ores  which  would 
pay  if  worked  for  their  zinc  content  alone. 


INDEX 


A.  B.  C.  Mining  Co.  69 

Ajax  90 

Alamo  23 

Alamo  district  23 

Albany  58 

Alice  80 

Allen  Gulch  92 

Alameda  77 

Alpine  28 

Althouse  district  71 

Althouse  Mining  Co.  71 

American  Development  Co.  45 

Anaconda  59,  62,  86 

Anderson  Group  24 

Antelope  56 

Antimony  5 

Antonio  placer  82 

Applegate  districts  71 

Archer  placer  83 

Argillite  51 

Asbestos  5 

Ashland  74 

Ashland  district  74 

Ashwood  56 

Asphaltum  101 

Auburn  Deep  Mining  Co.  45 

Auburn  district  45 

Aurora  42 

Auten  84 

Baby  86 
Bab}T  McKee  27 
Badger  53,  59 
Bain  placers  75 
Baislev-Elkhorn  49 
Bald  Mountain  32 
Baltimore  63 
Bangs  46 
Banzette  40 
Barron  74 


Barr  placers  75 
Bartolf  46 
Basalt,  Uses  of  111 
Basin  32 
Bauxite  5 

Bear  Creek  district  55 

Bear  Gulch  45 

Beaver  Hill  coal  mine  12 

Beach  Mining  93 

Belcher  40,  63 

Benefit  63 

Benton  96 

Big  Elk  39 

Big  Four  39 

Big  Horn  50 

Big  Johnny  39 

Big  Producer  24 

Big  Yank  ledge  76 

Bill  Nye  79 

Blackbird  26 

Black  Butte  30 

Black  Butte  Quicksilver  Mining 
Co.  99 

Black  Eagle  44 
Blackeve  39 
Black  Hawk  40 
Black  Jack  48 
Black  Maria  51 
Blackwell  81 
Blackwell  district  80 
Blaisdell  83 
Blalock  and  Howe  85 
Blanco  93 
Blue  Bird  49 
Blue  Bucket  51 
Blue  River  district  58 
Bohemia  district  61 
Bonanza  26 
Bonanza  district  25 
Bone  of  Contention  73 


11 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


Borax  6 

Boston  63 

Botha  38 

Bowden  80 

Braden  80 

Brazos  53 

Brick  and  Tile  8 

Briggs  Creek  district  75 

Broncho  and  Burro  59 

Browning  83' 

Buckhorn  48,  96 
Buffalo  38 

Bull  of  the  Woods  53 
Buck  Gulch  33 
Bunker  Hill  32 
Burns  and  Duffield  80 
Byson  46 

Cable  Cove  district  26 
California  27,  44,  90 
Calapooia  63 
Camp  Carson  district  29 
Canyon  Creek  88 
Canyon  district  29 
Canyonville  district  68 
Captain  Martin  30 
Carpenter  Hill  50 
Carr  80 

Carson  Hydraulic  Mining  Co.  29 

Carter  78 

Cement  6 

Cement  placer  81 

Champlin  Dredging  Co.  22,  79 

Chattanooga  53 

Chelan  48 

Chena  Creek  district  57 
Chloride  39,  50 
Chromite  8 
Cinderella  59 
Clark  and  Terry  91 
Clark  Placers  87 
Clatsop  sands  95 
Climax  35,  38,  39 
Cobalt  16 


Coal  11 

Clackamas  County  14 
Columbia  County  14 
Coos  Bay  11 
Douglas  County  15 
Heppner 16 
Jackson  County  15 
Lane  County  15 
Lower  Nehalem  13 
Marion  County  14 
Upper  Nehalem  13 
Yaquina  13 
Cobel  and  Henson  91 
Coffee  Creek  69 
Coffman  placers  81 
Colorado  46 
Columbia  34 
Columbia  Extension  35 
Columbia  placers  84 
Comstock  48 

Condor  Water  & Power  Co.  77 

Confidence  94 

Connor  Creek  37 

Connor  placers  75 

Constellation  27 

Continental  68 

Cook  and  Howland  87 

Copper  16 

Copper  Eagle  74 

Copperopolis  46 

Copper  Stain  90 

Coquille  Coal  Co.  12 

Cornucopia  31 

Cornucopia  district  30 

Cougar  38 

Coyote  Creek  district  85 
Crown  Point  27 
Cracker  Creek  district  32 
Cracker-Eagle  32 
Cracker-Jack  32 
Cracker-Oregon  35 
Cracker-Summit  36 
Crane  Flat  38 
Cresent  coal  mine  12 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


in 


Cripple  Creek  63 
Crook  County  mines  65 
Crott  placer  91 
Crystal  96 

Crystal  Consolidated  63 
Crystal  Palace  52 
Cyclone  53 

Dale  Hill  placer  71 
Dana  37 
Davis  59 

Dean  and  Gilkey  59 
Deer  Creek  district  45 
Delmonte  52 
Denny  25 
Denver  25 

Deep  Gravel  Mining  Co.  92 

Dexter  56 

Diamonds  104 

Dick  86 

Dixie  41 

Dixie  Meadows  Extension  46 
Dixie  Meadows  47 
Doctor  59 

Dodson  Butte  district  68 
Don  Juan  40 
Double  Eagle  25 
Dowell  83 
Downie  placer  33 
Drew  Creek  district  69 
Drum  Lummon  100 
Dry  Diggings  82 
Ducommon  92 
Duncan  and  Anderson  79 
Dunn  39 
Duro  46 

E.  and  E.  33 
Eagle  94,  96 
Eccentric  73 
Eldorado  39 
Elephant  63 

Elkhead  quicksilver  mine  99 
Elkhorn  63 


Ellis  placers  33 
Emma  53 

Empire  Dredging  Co.  21 
Engles  and  Creed  91 
Esmerelda  32 
Eureka  75 

Eureka  Smelting  Co.  43 
Evening  59 
Evening  Star  63 
Excelsior  48 

Fall  Creek  district  61 
Fidelity  44 
Fireclay  8 
Fitzsimmons  46 
Flanagan  coal  mine  12 
Flintlock  placer  88 
Flora  M.  45 
Foots  Creek  79 
Forest  Queen  89 
Forrest  Creek  district  81 
Forty-nine  Jimmy  40 
Free  and  Easy  87 
Freeland  Consolidated  57 
Friday  53 

Galice  District  75 
Galice  Consolidated  Mines  Co.  76 
Gallagher  46 
Galls  Creek  79 
Gem  52,  53 
Gifford  46 
Gypsy  King  48 
Gladstone  26 
Glendale  60 
Glenwood  63 
Golconda  35,  73 
Gold  and  Silver  17 
Gold  in  Beach  Deposits  19 
Gold,  Distribution  of  Placer 
18 

Gold  Dredging  21 

Gold  in  Eastern  Oregon  22 

Gold  Bug  90 


IV 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


Gold  Bug-Grizzly  32 

Gold  Coin  39 

Gold  Creek  57 

Golden  Chloride  78 

Golden  Drift  dam  82 

Golden  Rule  64 

Golden  Slipper  64 

Golden  Star  39 

Golden  Wedge  76 

Golden  Wizard  45 

Gold  Cross  63 

Gold  Gulch  district  54 

Gold  Hill  37 

Gold  Hill  district  37,  77 

Gold  Hill  High  Line  ditch  78 

Gold  King  56,  63,  88 

Gold  Pan  32 

Gold  Ridge  37 

Gold  Star  63 

Gopher  86 

Gordon  39 

Graham  and  Braden  81 
Grand  Union  49 
Granite  district  37 
Granite  Hill  89 
Grants  Pass  district  82 
Grass  Flat  placer  71 
Grave  Creek  districts  83 
Great  Northern  30,  60 
Greenback  84 
Greenhorn  58 
Greenhorn  district  39 
Green  Mountain  district  69 
Grizzly  64 

Grouse  Mountain  64 
Gypsum  96 

Half-Moon  Bar  90 
Hall  68 
Hammersly  87 
Happy  Jack  60 
Hardscrabble  85 
Harmon  and  Green  76 
Harney  County  mines  54 


Harney  district  55 
Harris  Flat  83 
Hayes  placer  79 
Hebert  79 
Helms  Bros.  64 
Henry  Clay  64 
Henryville  coal  mine  12 
Hiawatha  64 
Highland  50 
Hinkle  79 
Homestake  32,  78 
Hughes  and  Short  46 
Humboldt  42,  44 
Humbug  58 
Hurley  56 

Hustler  and  Black  Bear  60 
Ibex  32 

Idol  City  district  54 
Illinois  River  districtj[88 
Imbler  and  Isaacs  87 
Imnaha  district  42 
Imperial  28 
Independence  39 
Indiana  52 

Infusorial  Earth  96 

Interstate  37 

Intermountain  39 

Intrinsic  42 

Iowa  64 

Iron  97 

Iron  Dike  43 

Iron  Dike  district  43 

I.  X.  L.  41 

Jackson  Creek  district  81 
Jay  Gould  25 
Jewell  and  Moore  83 
Jewett  82 
Joe-the-Greek  43 
Johnson  81 

Johnson  Creek  district  95 
Johnson  placers  38 
Josephine  Creek  district  8S 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


v 


JOSEPHENITE  104 
Judson  Rock  64 
Jumbo  61 

Jump-off-Joe  district  86 
Justice  32 

Kaolin  8 

Kanes  Creek  district  80 
Kelly  50 

Kerby  district  87 
Keystone  47,  60,  90 
Kidd  and  Tedrowe  44 
Kimberley  56 
Kiphart  71 
Klondike  52 
Klopp  30 
Knott  64 

Kremer  and  Palmer  90 
Kubli  79 

La  Belleview  38 
Lake  County  mines  56 
Last  Chance  27,  80 
Lawler  58 
Layton  73 
Lead  98 
Lehman  85 
Leroy  64 
Levens  Ledge  68 
Lewis  90 

Lewis  and  Clark  58 
Libby  coal  mine  12 
Lillian  coal  mine  12 
Lime  98 
Listen  Lake  42 
Little  Chieftain  68 
Little  Cracker  36 
Little  Giant  24 
Little  Hill  37 
Lost  Flat  76 
Louse  Creek  district  89 
Lower  Lewis  83 
Lower  Rogue  district  89 
Lucky  Bart  78 


Lucky  Boy  25,  60 
Lucky  Cuss  73 
Lucky  Queen  87 
Lucy  42 

Mabelle  80 
Mack’s  Luck  45 
Magnolia  39 
Maid  of  Erin  52 
Maid  of  the  Mist  72 
Malheur  district  43 
Mammoth  36,  53 
Man  of- War  39 
Martine  71 
Mayflower  55,  64 
May  Queen  40,  82 
Maxwell  50 
McDougal  80 
McDowell  71 
Mercur  46 
Mercury  98 
Midway  36 
Miller  75 

Miller,  Reed  and  Owens  79 
Mineral  Cut  58 
Minersville  district  45 
Missouri  Flat  district  73 
Missouri  Mining  Co.  72 
Mollala  district  58 
Molybdenite  100 
Monarch  53 
Monitor  53 
Montana  65 
Monumental  38 
Moraine  Mining  Co.  21 
Morning  41,  60 
Morning  Star  32,  44,  84 
Morrison  88 
Mountain  Belle  32 
Mountain  Lion  73 
Mountain  View  17,  36 
Mt  Rastus  district  46 
Mt.  Reuben  district  90 
Mud  Flat  88 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


vi 

Mule  Mountian  89 

Nashville  39 
Natural  Gas  103 
Nehalem  Wax  102 
Nellie  Wright  81 
Nemo  65 

New  York  Consolidated  39 

Nickel  100 

Nine  Strike  35 

Noonday  60,  55 

Northern  Light  57 

North  Fairview  65 

North  Myrtle  Creek  district  68 

North  Pole  33 

North  Powder  district  46 

Ochoco  Creek  district  55 

Octo  50 

Old  Abe  45 

Old  Channel  76 

Old  Famous  75 

Old  River  Channel  53 

Old  Vet  85 

Ole  Bull  32 

Olive  Creek  23 

Oliver  Twist  65 

Olsen  78 

Olympia  85 

Otnah  79 

Omaha  28 

Opals  104 

Opp  81 

Oregon  Belle  81 
Oregon  Chief  28 
Oregon-Colorado  65 
Oregon  King  56 

Oregon  Lime  and  Plaster  Co.  96 
Oregon  Mining  Co.  74J 
Oregon  Monarch  49| 

Oregon  and  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.  70 
Oregon  Queen  56 
Oregon  Securities  Co.  65 


Oregon  and  Southeastern  R.  R. 
62 

Oregon  Wonder  30 
Orleans  32 

Ornament  and  Surprise  39 
Oro  Fino  25,  28,  86 
Oro  Grande  72 
Otter  Rock  94 
Overland  28 
Owl  Gulch  82 
Ozokerite  101 

Pacific  25 
Patterson  52 
Paul  Kruger  46 
Pauline  51 
Paymaster  25 
Pearl  96 
Peek-a-Boo  66 
Petroleum  103 
Phoenix  41 
Pine  Creek  25 
Pioneer  94 
Platinum  70,  103 
Pocahontas  district  49 
Porcupine  32 
Potosi  39 

Prairie  Diggings  30 
Present  Need  47 
Pride  of  Henlin  58 
Princess  53 
Prolific  96 
Psyche  40 
Pueblo  district  54 

Quartzburg  district  46 
Quartz  Mountain  79 
Quebec  24 
Queen  of  Bronze  17 
Quicksilver  98 

Rainbow  44,  69 
Rambler  61,  66 


University  ot  Oregon  Bulletin 


Ramsay  and  Ingram  74 

Randolph  district  94 

Rattler  66 

Ravena  60 

Ray  56 

Red  Boy  48 

Red  Boy  district  48 

Red  Chief  28 

Red  Jacket  51,  56 

Red  Lion  42 

Red  Oak  80 

Red,  White  and  Blue  44 
Reed  and  Fletcher  99 
Reeves  and  Williams  76 
Resolute  26 
Rich  Creek  44 
Richmond  25 
Riverside  66 
Roaring  Gimlet  80 
Robert  Emmet  32 
Rock  Creek  district  49 
Rogue  River  Quicksilver  Mining 
Co.  98 
Rosa  D.  51 
Rose  94 
Ross  Gulch  40 
Rowley  69 
Royal  White  42 
Ruble  85 
Rusty  Butte  95 
Rye  Valley  district  51 

Sagamore  31 
Salt  111 
Saltpeter  105 
Salmon  39 

Salmon  Mountain  95 
Sampson  32 
Sanger  31 
Sapphires  104 
Sardine  Creek  district  78 
Savage  and  Son  76 
Scandia  Tunnel  Co.  24 
Scorpion  38,  66 


Scribner  and  Henderson  85 
Sears  66 

Shade  and  Thornwaite  91 
Shane  66 
Shook  79 
Shorty-Hope  74 
Silver  Creek  91 
Silver  Creek  Basin  91 
Silver  Creek  district  91 
Silyies  district  54 
Simmons  32 

Simmons,  Logan  & Cameron  92 

Sixes  93 

Sixes  River  95 

Six-Mile  89 

Sixteen-to-One  25 

Slate  Creek  district  74 

Sluter  86 

Smith  46 

Smith-Beer  92 

Smuggler  39 

Snow  Bird  38 

Snow  Creek  40 

Soda  105 

South  Marshfield  coal  mine  12 
South  Myrtle  Creek  district  68 
South  Pole  50 
Spanish  Gulch  52 
Spanish  Gulch  district  51 
Sparta  district  52 
Sprague- Warner  94 
Standard  48 

Standard  Consolidated  47 
Steam  Beer  83 
Steamboat  district  71 
Stein  Mountain  district  54 
Sterling  72 

Stice  Gulch,  district  45 
Stice  Gulch  45 
Stockton  53 
Stone  105 
Storm  King  29 
Strasburg  24 
Sturgis  81 


Vlll 


University  of  Oregon  Bulletin 


St.  Anthony  24 
St.  Louis  61 
St.  Joe  44 
St.  Peter  84 

Sucker  Creek  district  91 
Sucker  Creek  91 
Sumpter  smelter  23 
Sun  61 
Sunrise  67 
Sunset  61 
Sunnyside  57 
Susanville  district  52 
Sweepstake  67 
Syndicate  67 

Taylor  and  Kremer  83 
Tarbell  44 
Tammany  32 
Taber  Fraction  34 
Tahoma  38 
Tempest  41 
Tennessee  32 
Tennessee  Gulch  87 
Texas  Gulch  68 
Thompson  85 
Thornburg  38 
Three  Monte  67 
Three  Sisters  79 
Tin  Pan  80 
Tolo  81 
Treasure  61 

Trout  Creek  district  54,|56 
Trowbridge  46 

Uncle  Sam  38,  44,  61 
U.  S.  Consolidated'67 
Upper  Lewis  83 
Utopian  67 

Valley  Queen  29 
Vesuvius  67 
Victor  36 
Vindicator  83 


Virginia  41 
Virtue  54 
Virtue  district  53 
Vulcan  83 

Vulcan  Copper  Co.  93 

Waldo  district  92 
Waldo  Smelting  and  Mining  C 
92 

Wall  Street  67 
Waratah  Minerals  Co.  104 
Ward  Creek  district  78 
Water  Gulch  district  79 
Waxahachie  91 
Weatherbv  Bonanza  37 
Weatherby  district  37 
West  Fork  district  95 
West  Side  39 
Whale  Ledge  74 
White  Butte  56 
White  Carbonate  39 
White  Horse  79 
White  Iron  67 
White  Swan  54 
Wild  Irishman  32 
Wiliams  Creek  district  72 
Wilson  and  Meredith  88 
Winchester  67 
Winterville  26 
Wisconsin  45 
Wisecarver  91 
Wolf  Creek  district  85 
Wolf  Creek  Mining  Co.  86 
Worley  42 

Yank  77 
Yankee  Boy  46 
Yankee  Girl  45 
Yellow  Daisy  48 
Yellow’  Horn  84 
Yellow  Jacket  80 

Zinc  112 


